DOI issue:
No. 216 (March, 1911)
DOI article:Harada, Jirō: Japanese art and artists of to-day, [5]: Metal work
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20972#0120
yapanese Art and Artists of To-Day.—V. Metal-JVork
Japan until quite recently three distinct groups occupying prominent places who are of the
of artists in metal-work, each possessing a Mito school, as, for instance, Unno Shomin,
distinct character. One was what might be Bisei, Kawakami Toshikatsu, Koizumi Katsu-
termed the Kyoto style,awhich was for genera- chika and Mukai Katsuyuki.
tions the characteristic note of the distinguished We will now proceed to give a brief account
Goto family, who were succeeded by Kano of a few of the artists who are at the present
Natsuo, and are now represented by such time actively engaged in the production of
artists as Nomura Katsumori, Tsukada Shukyo, artistic metal-work.
Kagawa Katsuhiro and Nakazato Morinaga. Unno Shomin learnt his art in metal from
Kyoto having been the capital of Japan for Unno Yoshimori, and later from Hagiya Katsu-
more than ten centuries, it is but natural that hira in Mito. When the custom of wearing
the style found in the works of its artists two swords by the Samurai was abolished, he
possessed qualities that appealed to the nobles came to Tokyo determined to get his living
of the Court. Their style emphasized grace as a musician, and shortly after his arrival
in form, elegance in design, and refinement in he had occasion to see at the Imperial Palace
the finished production. j,When the Court re- an ancient dance called RanryowS, in which a
moved to Tokyo, most of the leading artists famous general of that name, who used to
also migrated thither. appear on the battlefield with a gold mask in
The second style was founded by the artists order to hide his face (which he thought was
of Tokyo at the time when the Shogun resided too handsome to give the stern commands
in that city. Their work was not confined to required), was represented. Shomin was deeply
swords and armour orna-
ments for the Samurai,
but extended to the manu-
facture of metal articles
demanded by the wealthy.
The style was gay and
determined by fashion.
This group may be said
to be now represented by
such artists as Toyokawa
Mitsunaga, Okada Set-
suga, Ito Katsumi and
Ikeda Minkoku.
The third group is
known as the Mito school.
The art of metal-work
made wonderful progress
at Mito, an old city some
seventy miles north of
Tokyo. Here extra-
ordinary measures were
taken by the feudal lord,
Tokugawa Mitsukuni, in
the way of encouraging
different arts, in conse-
quence of which Mito be-
came a centre for artists
and art craftsmen who
developed a style of their
own. This is charac-
terized by strength and
solidity rather than by
grace and elegance. There
are many to-day in Tokyo inlaid silver vases by toyokawa mitsunaga
98
Japan until quite recently three distinct groups occupying prominent places who are of the
of artists in metal-work, each possessing a Mito school, as, for instance, Unno Shomin,
distinct character. One was what might be Bisei, Kawakami Toshikatsu, Koizumi Katsu-
termed the Kyoto style,awhich was for genera- chika and Mukai Katsuyuki.
tions the characteristic note of the distinguished We will now proceed to give a brief account
Goto family, who were succeeded by Kano of a few of the artists who are at the present
Natsuo, and are now represented by such time actively engaged in the production of
artists as Nomura Katsumori, Tsukada Shukyo, artistic metal-work.
Kagawa Katsuhiro and Nakazato Morinaga. Unno Shomin learnt his art in metal from
Kyoto having been the capital of Japan for Unno Yoshimori, and later from Hagiya Katsu-
more than ten centuries, it is but natural that hira in Mito. When the custom of wearing
the style found in the works of its artists two swords by the Samurai was abolished, he
possessed qualities that appealed to the nobles came to Tokyo determined to get his living
of the Court. Their style emphasized grace as a musician, and shortly after his arrival
in form, elegance in design, and refinement in he had occasion to see at the Imperial Palace
the finished production. j,When the Court re- an ancient dance called RanryowS, in which a
moved to Tokyo, most of the leading artists famous general of that name, who used to
also migrated thither. appear on the battlefield with a gold mask in
The second style was founded by the artists order to hide his face (which he thought was
of Tokyo at the time when the Shogun resided too handsome to give the stern commands
in that city. Their work was not confined to required), was represented. Shomin was deeply
swords and armour orna-
ments for the Samurai,
but extended to the manu-
facture of metal articles
demanded by the wealthy.
The style was gay and
determined by fashion.
This group may be said
to be now represented by
such artists as Toyokawa
Mitsunaga, Okada Set-
suga, Ito Katsumi and
Ikeda Minkoku.
The third group is
known as the Mito school.
The art of metal-work
made wonderful progress
at Mito, an old city some
seventy miles north of
Tokyo. Here extra-
ordinary measures were
taken by the feudal lord,
Tokugawa Mitsukuni, in
the way of encouraging
different arts, in conse-
quence of which Mito be-
came a centre for artists
and art craftsmen who
developed a style of their
own. This is charac-
terized by strength and
solidity rather than by
grace and elegance. There
are many to-day in Tokyo inlaid silver vases by toyokawa mitsunaga
98