Fred, I loved your talk a couple of years ago on Ojime and I am sure this one will be even more mesmerizing. The quality and detail in such a small package is just incredible in ojime. In fact, they make many beads look quite crude by comparison!

From my layperson's memory (and please cut me a little slack...as Steve Tyler says, there's a lot about the 70s I don't remember) did you tell us back then that the artisans of ojime actually acquired their skills as makers of swords? And if so, they were skilled at metallurgy, so could these artisans be credited with creating alloys possibly not done before?

I'm thinking of the super work of Bob Burket, and the lovely dragonfly of his that I have. The wings, sterling, the body, legs and head, shibuichi. Which he says is 10% silver and 90% copper. This brown alloy has a neat silvery sheen.

Is this metal related to the items in Rosanna's image? Could you tell us a little bit about Japanese alloys, and whether their development was parallel with the era of netsuke, ojime and inro? Many thanks.