Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 7.djvu/256

 literally, it would be necessary to conclude that gold was exceptionally abundant and profusely used for ornamental purposes. But the truth is that although the Japanese loved the rich glow of the noble metal and utilised it largely in the adornment of temples, in domestic architecture, and for various ornaments and utensils, they thoroughly understood the art of making a little go a long way, and many objects which a casual observer might readily mistake for solid gold, were nothing more than gilded copper. Still, as the gold-leaf employed for gilding purposes was thicker than that serving the same end in the Occident, the quantity of the precious metal required for coating Buddhist images (whether of bronze or wood), temple utensils, and architectural ornaments must have been considerable. Table utensils of gold or silver did not exist, with the exception of cups for drinking wine and vessels for mulling it, together with small kettles, censers, and other minor objects to be spoken of by-and-by. For the manufacture of sword-ornaments, however,—especially menuki,—and pouch-mountings, pure gold was constantly used. Guards of solid gold are scarcely ever found, except in the case of the aikuchi (a short dagger-like weapon carried by the samurai and used to cut off the head of a fallen enemy). It is true that several collectors in Europe and America possess, among their art treasures, large tsuba (guards) of pure gold, ornamented with the utmost elaboration of detail. But these, with few exceptions, were made expressly for sale to foreigners, and never formed part of a Japanese sword. The term "pure gold" is not used here in an absolutely literal sense. In former times the Japanese were not