yapanese Art and Artists of To-Day.—V. Metal-Work

his famous grandfather, who executed excellent
works in metal. Although a son of Moritoshi
(Yoshimori had only daughters), Bisei had to
keep up that branch of the family. That
explains why he is sometimes called Yoshimori
the Second.

When Bisei began work, the period was
what may be termed a transitional one, and
he thought it absolutely essential to study old

SILVER INCENSE BURNER BY OSHIMA JOUN

things in orderjhat he might improve his pro-
ducts^- With]/this idea he went to Nara, the
ancient capital of Japan, where the oldest
temples and ancient treasures are to be found.
Here he studied for nearly three years, tracing
the development of old art in Japan and satisfy-
ing himself as to the source whence each great
master derived his inspiration. Feeling the
necessity of acquiring the art of painting, he
worked very hard in Kyoto to master different
styles, especially those of the Kano, Korin, and
Shijo schools. Realising also the great influ-
ence which natural beauty was exerting upon
Japanese art, he travelled extensively about the
country acquiring new conceptions for his
artistic reproductions. Then when clay model-
ling was introduced along with oil painting into
the curriculum of the Kobu Diagaku, Bisei
was the first to adopt the new method, which
involved a great saving of labour and waste.

The object which first gained Bisei fame
as an artist in metal was a silver figure of
Yabusame, which, when exhibited some twenty
years ago in Tokyo, was awarded the highest
prize, being afterwards purchased by the De-
100

partment of the Imperial Household. EThe
sole purpose he had in the creation was to show
the beauty of the form and the grace in the
subtle lines of the figure. What caused a great
deal of comment among the artists concerning
this piece of work was that Bisei had a cast
made of that part of the figure where the out-
lines were the most difficult, thus diverging
from the long-established custom of hammering
the figure into shape, however difficult that
might be. To him the hammering or casting
only meant a difference in technique, and not,
in the artistic merit of the object. It has
always been the custom among the Japanese
artists, and still is to a great extent, to attach
greater importance to things that have been
accomplished by means and methods of great
difficulty without regard to the effect, and it
therefore became a problem at that time whether
for the attainment of the end the method might
be sacrificed. Labour-saving as it was, thej
process of casting was not an easy art, as it had
to be done in such a way that the metal could
afterwards be chiselled and still look the same

BRONZE VASE BY HIRANO KICHIBEI