A masterfully forged articulated iron snake (tetsuji jizai okimono) by Myochin Munemasa, the celebrated Edo-period metalsmith of Kaga. This striking work features expertly hammered and layered individual scales, each meticulously articulated for fluid, lifelike movement—a hallmark of the genre’s finest creations.

During the late Edo period, Japan entered an unprecedented era of peace and stability, with diminished demand for traditional samurai armor and weaponry. Renowned armor-making families, such as the Myochin, whose techniques and artistry were honed in centuries of warfare, turned their extraordinary metalworking skills from martial output to new peacetime pursuits. Among the most remarkable of these were jizai okimono: fully articulated animal sculptures in iron, copper, and other metals. These ingenious works not only celebrated the artisan’s technical mastery but also appealed to the era’s sophisticated taste for curious, lifelike objets d’art.​

Each iron scale is individually chiseled and layered with astonishing detail, the entire form articulated to mimic the natural movements of a snake as it coils around a dramatic driftwood base. Such pieces became prized by collectors both in Japan and abroad for their ingenuity, movement, and uncanny naturalism.