Circus Folk Arts Blog

More and more, people in the Western world are using the decorative fashions of Asian cultures, more so in traditional Japanese homes; traditional Japanese residences are known for their simplicity and serenity – their ‘zen-like’ feel and many people crave this type of air at least for their bedrooms if not throughout the entire home.

At the same time there are persons who are fascinated with the Japanese culture and Japanese antiques, and therefore will pay great amounts of cash to have a real antique Japanese screen, woodblock print, doll, katana or any similar piece they may happen to get.

There are many websites on the internet that sell genuine Japanese antiques and will send them directly from Japan if required; in the event that individuals are interested in possessing an antique item for yourself you can look through a couple of these websites for something he/she may like. There are dozens of Japanese antiques available, the most well-know being woodblock prints, screens, lanterns, vases, scrolls, paintings, dolls, swords, ceramics and furniture items such as tables, chairs chests, etc.

Since antiques are simply aged, well kept items, it is natural that at some point or another they will have to be cleaned but if you wish to keep the original splendor of an piece, cleaning it may not be so easy since using the wrong cleaning agent or rubbing too vigorously may damage the item. Therefore here are a couple tips on cleaning two antique items, swords and bronze vases.

For cleaning an antique sword, a person will have oil, cloths, uchiko – powder to help with getting off the oil, and a clean cloth to apply clean oil to the blade. Start with taking apart the sword if you can, wipe the blade to remove any dirt you can, dust the blade with the uchiko and continue cleaning until all the old oil and powder is removed, then go ahead and oil the blade using a clean cloth; be wary not to put fingerprints on the blade because this can cause the blade to rust.

Now here is how to clean antique bronze vases, chests, dishes, etc.; first you must know that antique bronze items are not meant to be bright and sparkly, over time patina and oxidization occurs and gives the piece its look and worth so while cleaning bronze pieces, the aim is not to make them sparkly and new – since they never were, it is only to eliminate dirt and dust without messing up the original patterns and markings, and depreciating its value.

The only thing an individual will require for cleaning one’s bronze pieces is mild soap, water, and soft cloths. Combine a little soap with water in a container; dampen the cloth in the soapy water and wipe the bronze item with it. Softly rinse the piece in clean water and dry it immediately to prevent it leaving blemishes and tarnishing the patina markings.

All antiques including Japanese antiques will very rapidly decrease in value in the event that they are compromised therefore do not use anything aside from mild soap and water on your bronze items.