Photo Credit: Matsu Kaze Japan
The motto of the Antique Sage website is “Art as Investment”. I am fully committed to the idea that entry level art is both an affordable, and accessible, investment vehicle. But I also understand that the concept of investing in art can be very intimidating to the neophyte collector or casual admirer.
Traditional investments like stocks and bonds might seem like a safer bet in this context. It is so much easier to just turn on your automated bi-weekly payroll deductions, dump the proceeds into an S&P 500 Index fund and forget about it. But this sense of safety in paper assets is really a cruel deception.
In reality, conventional assets are more overvalued now than at any point since just before the great Wall Street Crash of 1929. A lot of people will lose a lot of money on these supposedly “safe” investments over the next decade. Fine art and antiques, on the other hand, represent a compelling alternative to these junk paper assets.
That is the primary reason I started my website: to educate people about the tremendous opportunities available in the world of fine art and antiques. I have often found that the best way to do this is to showcase a specific item and walk viewers through its merits.
But first I think it’s important to address the question, “Why entry level art?” What artwork can the average person possibly hope to buy for $100 or $200 that could be considered investment grade?
Simply put, a work of art doesn’t have to be expensive to be desirable. Sure, there are some hideously expensive pieces of art that are wonderful investments. But there are also entry level works well within the reach of the average person that are just as compelling from an investment standpoint.
The antique Japanese samurai sword fittings pictured at the top of this article are a case in point. They consist of two pieces: the butt-end of a sword grip, known as a “kashira”, and the top of a sword grip, called a “fuchi”. These two pieces book-ended a samurai’s sword handle. They were not only functional – helping to keep everything in place – but also decorative as well.
Samurai sword fittings, like this kashira and fuchi pair, are extremely collectible today. And it is easy to see why. This set undoubtedly come from Japan’s Edo era, a period from 1603 to 1868 when the island nation was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate. During this time, Japan was a feudal society segmented into four distinct social castes: samurai (warriors), peasants (farmers), craftsmen and merchants.
Only the samurai, sitting at the very top of the social hierarchy, were permitted to carry weapons in public. These took the form of the world-famous katana, along with the samurai’s lesser known short sword, the wakizashi. Because they were symbols of a samurai’s status, the katana and wakizashi were often lavishly decorated, especially in the later Edo period.
The kashira and fuchi pictured above are relatively simple in their design, but quite aesthetically pleasing nonetheless. The Japanese have been masters of understated ornamentation for centuries, and these samurai sword fittings underscore just how fluidly they crafted truly compelling, yet still minimalist, works of art.
These handmade Japanese antiques are truly old – at least 150 years old and possibly as much as 400 years old. In addition, they show unmistakable signs of use in the form of small dings, scratches and surface wear. Although this means they are no longer in pristine condition, conversely, it also means that they were a functioning piece of kit for a real samurai warrior. This is a true link with the distant past that you cannot get any other way, except through a fine antique.
This kashira and fuchi set are made from premium materials: horn, shakudo metal and gilt decorations. Shakudo is a traditional Japanese alloy composed of anywhere from 1% to 7% gold, with the balance copper. The resulting alloy takes on a deep, velvety black patina over time, which is fully developed on this samurai sword fuchi. Shakudo was a very expensive material in Tokugawa Japan due to its gold content.
The raised gold design on the fuchi is a kamon, or Japanese family crest. Although I have not been able to identify this particular kamon, the potential remains for the happy buyer of this lot to do so in the future. This would allow you to not only discover the samurai family associated with these intriguing artworks, but also the geographic location in Japan where they were fashioned and used.
Shockingly, this fascinating bit of Tokugawa Japan could have been yours for a mere $118 – if it hadn’t already sold, that is. $118 is hardly more than the average American family’s monthly cable bill. And if you would are willing to take advantage of eBay flash sales or eBay Bucks promotions, you could pick up similar investment grade antiques at 8% to 15% discounts off their asking price.
Personally, I find it almost unbelievable that you can buy a bona fide piece of samurai history for such a modest sum. Really the next logical question is, “Why does it cost so little?”
This answer is disarmingly straightforward.
This kashira and fuchi pair are not anywhere close to the highest quality workmanship available in antique Japanese sword fittings. In fact, it is possible that the set is provincial in origin, created by a craftsman operating in the Japanese hinterlands for a minor samurai family. Their simplicity and stylistic naiveté render them an entry level art investment.
But entry level is not necessarily a bad thing. It allows the aspiring art enthusiast or Japanophile to get in on the bottom rung of the investment grade art world for a surprisingly modest sum – only $118.
And in spite of their low price, this antique kashira and fuchi are still extremely desirable. They are also quite approachable; you don’t have to constantly fear that you are going to mishandle or damage a museum-quality piece with these artworks.
In short, they are a perfect example of the beautiful entry level, investment grade art that is sitting around just waiting to be discovered. Yes, as amazing as it sounds, you absolutely can invest in fine art for little more than a single C-note.
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