When considering how you will clean and maintain you kanzashi antiques, it’s important you understand the materials they are made from, materials

will differ from each Japanese prefecture and era. Since the Edo era was the renaissance of art in Japan most of what is available from this period is

artfully and skillfully made, the last thing you want is to have your well meant intention to clean your item turn into a huge disaster. I have a

beautiful pair of Edo period hairpins with lots of intricate detail that I wanted to clean to make bright and shiny so I put one in an ultrasonic

cleaner with a chemical to remove the tarnish, it took 30 seconds for the piece to literally fall apart and all the little pieces end up laying on the

bottom of the basket. Thankfully I was able to use its companion as a visual reference to put the pieces back together, but if it was not for my

ignorance to the method and materials which were used to make this beauty I guarantee I would have never attempted this. My thinking was if the Japanese

selling these items are doing this why can't I?  Big mistake. My trial and error experiences have leaded me to create this guide to help you make the

right decision for maintaining your beauties.
First of all, make this your mantra: "DO NOT USE ANYTHING STRONGER THAN CASTILLE SOAP AND WATER TO CLEAN YOUR ITEMS!!!  Don’t get caught up in chemicals

and hard ware unless you fully understand how your piece was made and the materials used to make it. When asking a professional appraiser or restoration

expert what their opinion on restoring or cleaning an object would be you will get different answers. Some think that a piece should not be cleaned as

the patina on most antiques is desirable, others will tell you to have you items restored. I personally do not like a dirty goodie! Seek a professional

opinion before attempting anything you might regret, I'm lucky enough to have excellent museums and auction houses nearby where I can get a good opinion

on what I should do if I'm not sure.
Below is a list of materials and how to handle them:

BECKKO / TORTOISE SHELL : By far the most popular and sought-after material in the kanzashi world, the Japanese love it and use it in other crafts like

jewelry, cigarette cases, and Inro. Bekko was once a symbol of status in historical Japan, craftsmen made anything you can think of from this organic

material. With so many types of tortoise in the sea there is a large range of hues and shades from pale yellow to jet black and is always polished to a

glass like finish. The lightest of the "Blonde" tones was primarily used for wedding kanzashi as it was seen as the purest tone thus reflecting the

wearer as the purest bride. Women of highest stature favored it also as the paler and more translucent it was the more expensive it was, a person of

status could identify another’s wealth and status by the type of tortoise shell being worn which was reflected in the tone and type of mottling. The

hawksbill was almost fished out of the sea short of extinction; it is now an endangered and protected species.
Beckko being organic is prone to drying out and becoming brittle from age and the elements and disintegrating, being eaten by moth and moth larva as

well as other insects, and from being over-handled. Castile soap is a good idea for cleaning along with an ultra soft cloth and room temperature water.

As with all combs that were worn you will find black wax in the teeth which was used to arrange a woman’s hairstyle, I usually just leave it alone as I

think it adds to the character. Do not use a brush or any other item to force out the wax as you can easily crack a tooth or damage the items finish.

Oils on the hands can permanently dull the finish so handle carefully.

FABRIC : another most popular material as Hana kanzashi is a commonly worn and made ornament today. Each month a different style with a particular

flower blossom is worn to match the season or the celebration of that month, this has been practiced my maiko for hundreds of years but is very popular

now with the general public. Tasseled fabric bows are worn for ceremonies and celebrations as well. We all know that fabric disintegrates over time, the

only options for cleaning is to blow off dust very gently. No water or chemicals as it's just a stupid idea. Common sense is that hana kanzashi is made

from silk chirimen which does not wash well; it is also assembled with rice glue which will disintegrate when exposed to water or chemicals. Do not

steam. Handle by the hairpin not the fabric. Display in a sealed cabinet where the elements and dust cannot get in.

METAL / SILVER, GOLD, BRASS, COPPER, TIN, etc.: metal can be applied in many different applications. Hairpins can be cast using tin or brass and then

coated in a bath of gold or silver with better more high class items being completely cast in gold or silver, most are rosin coated and then polished

and some have a wax coating. Shibayama style metal inlays can be soldered or glue adhered. Gold and silver leaf comb inlays are usually glued on or laid

onto fresh lacquer and sometimes lacquered over. be careful of hairpins containing cabochons or decorations made of porous natural stones that can be

affected by use of polishes or tarnish removing products which may affect glue or adhesive also. Use a high grade silver polish which protects the metal

and an ultra soft cloth or chamois so as not so scratch the metal or lift inlays. Use caution if you decide to use an ultrasonic cleaner as they can be

powerful enough to lift plating or dips as well as remove adhesives. I have a multi-speed dremel tool with polishing attachments which I use on fine

detail and etched pieces, low speed is best. Take your time and do a thorough job and you treasures will bring you such joy and satisfaction.

GLASS : fine glass crafting was introduced to the Japanese by the Portuguese in the 1400's. Hairpins, topknot rings and bracelets, combs and kogai could

be bought as souvenirs at festivals very inexpensively. Most glass pieces were so delicately done that many pieces were broken or lost after their first

use. Whether colored or painted, crystal or cut, glass is very impressive to behold. Use common sense when cleaning and storing. Use no chemical

cleaners so glass does not become etched or scratched, also no liquid or chemicals on painted or gilded items.

WOOD : the first known material used for hair ornaments, wood is primarily used as a base for decorating. The first known hair ornaments from the

prehistoric age were wood sticks broken from tree branches in their natural form which were inserted into the hair to ward off demons and evil spirits

who could attack you when your back was turned. The first visual record was found in Japanese tombs over 10,000 years old in the form of bamboo and

animal bone wrapped with plant material and decorated with red coloring, and also on clay haniwa figures which suggests this to be a common adornment

even in the stone age.  Wood used for hair ornaments by tradition is harvested on the southern island of Kyushu as it has the perfect strength and grain

for the applications used. Craftsmen decorated kanzashi as practice in miniature which prepared them for larger items and works of art, through the Edo

era renaissance we see kanzashi become more decorative and watch the art forms used on them become more advanced. Only combs used for hairstyling were

left un-decorated except for a makers mark. Combs for hair care were usually soaked in camellia oil which scented the hair and acted as a conditioning

agent. It is best not to do anything to wood due to its porosity; you will lose any lacquer or decoration guaranteed. If you have lacquer issues hire a

lacquer restorer who knows what can and needs to be done.

CERAMIC / PORCELAIN: another material that is very delicate and should be treated with care just like any fine Japanese ceramic item. Castile soap and a

soft cloth to dry or polish. Be careful of cracked glazes with liquids as they can further compromise the piece, bleeding of glazes and removal of

gilding is also possible. Prolonged exposure to sunlight or direct lighting can fade dyes.

CORAL / MOTHER OF PEARL: both are very porous and can be prone to dry-rot. Coral is largely used for inlays; it can be cut into cabochons and can be

very highly detailed. A hairpin or ear pick made from natural branch coral symbolizes the Japanese connection with the bountiful sea. Mother of pearl

can be cut into thin slices for applied decorative work or thicker to make a comb. Both are commonly used in shibayama inlay work. Both polish very

easily with a soft cloth, be careful not to lift small fine detailed parts that are glued on. Coral is very porous and will absorb dirt and moisture so

use no chemicals or cleaners of any kind.

IVORY / BONE: one of the most romanticized materials in kanzashi. tooth or tusk ivory is made of collagen has many forms such as elephant, sperm whale,

walrus, hippopotamus, hornbill, and vegetable ivory made of cellulose which comes from the south American ivory palm. It is imitated by synthetics,

plastics, wood and animal bone which has been used as an imitation for hundreds of years. ivory is very dense which makes it good for fine detail

carving, over time it gets a yellow-brown patina which can be used to tell the items age. It is very porous so it will absorb water and dirt, handle

with clean hands. Dust with a small soft paintbrush if needed; use no water or chemicals of any kind.

STONES / PRECIOUS AND SEMI PRECIOUS: precious stones are mostly used in shibayama inlays while semi precious are carved to desired shape and detail.

Quartz tama balls worn on hairpins are the most recognized decoration in this category. Stones are commonly imitated with glass which was much more

affordable to the lower and middle classes. Strangely enough diamonds did not gain popularity until more modern times as glass was the proffered

material.

OX HORN / SHEEP HORN: the use of horn materials are very popular in Asia, they can be live collected and are very abundant. Ox horn is a silky black

color that can pass as dark tortoise and is easily carve able, sheep horn has a translucent yellow tone and can pass for golden tortoise. Many of the

lower class could afford ornaments made from these materials, farmers made a cottage industry from selling the horns to craftsmen and other tradesmen.

Horn is porous so use no liquids and chemicals, dust frequently as the can attract dust.

PLASTICS / ACRYLIC, BAKELITE, CELLULOSE, EPOXY, NYLON, POLY, RESIN, ETC.: in use since the late 1800's much of the market is flooded with this

inexpensive alternative to the expensive originals. Not to be overlooked as many excellent craftsmen have used plastics as the base for their artwork.

Some plastics dry out and scratch easily and can dull permanently if you use liquids and chemicals, always use a clean soft cloth gently.

ADHESIVES / RICE GLUE, RUBBER GLUE, PASTE, EPOXY, LACQUER, SOLIDER: the biggest challenge when cleaning any kanzashi is disrupting the bonding agents

which hold together any joined pieces and artwork. The most commonly used adhesive is rice glue, it's not very durable and will disintegrate in contact

with most liquids and chemicals. Easy to make and inexpensive to purchase it was the mainstay until alternatives were available during the late Edo

period, it was used in all types of applications (including silver which is where I OOPS!ED when giving my Edo hairpins an ultrasonic bath) along with

rubber glue from the rubber tree. In the late 1800's the advances in plastics and adhesives brought new alternatives to the old standbys and enhanced

the possibilities for craftsmen. As rice glue is still the traditional favorite it's hard to tell what is being used and caution should always be used

when working with any piece from any era. I suggest that any piece you may want to perform a repair on which has loose inlay or lifting applied

decoration that it be done with rice glue and a fine tip paint brush, I have done this on my own pieces before and practiced using glitter on paper to

make sure I was confident in doing the application. Do not attempt to repair lifting or broken lacquer in this manner.   Solider even on a well made

piece should be observed, check to see where the pieces joinery is and make sure that nothing is loose or broken.  Bring broken joints and parts to a

jeweler for repair; I go to someone who specializes in antique jewelry and I am never disappointed in the outcome.

I hope this guide helps give you a better understanding of your items and how to handle them. If there is something that you still need help in

addressing or feel that I should include something else in this guide contact ma and I would be happy to answer any questions.

CHEERS!!!