DOI Heft:
No. 238 (January 1913)
DOI Artikel:Studio-talk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21158#0367
Studio-Talk
“AN APPEAL TO THE MOON” (WOOD SCULPTURE)
BY MORI HOSEI
The rare gift of Japanese artists of making the best
use of natural materials by taking every advantage
of their characteristics was clearly shown at this
exhibition in their use of wood. How cleverly the
natural grain of the wood has been utilised to
bring out special qualities and feelings was shown
in The Pointing of a Finger executed by Hiragushi
Denchu, showing the popular legendary Chinese
personages, Kwanzan and Jittoku, pointing to a
star they have just discovered; Serene Music (a
girl playing on the sho) an exceptionally clever
work by Ishimoto Gyokai, and a representation of
the homely looking FTotei, one of the seven gods ot
fortune, by the same carver; the graceful Kwannon
by Sekino Seiun; also in Hosei’s An Appeal to the
Moon. In fact almost all the pieces showed this
aptitude for utilising the grain of the wood most
effectively, and adapting the style of carving to the
quality of the wood.
Formerly only a few kinds of wood, more or
less costly in themselves, were used, but now ex-
periments are being made with a larger variety
drawn from different parts of the country. By the
use of a new and comparatively little known species
of wood from Hokkaido called domo, for his
splendid piece Koan, a Chinese sage on a turtle,
Yoshida Hakurei has brought out an expression of
delightful repose upon the face of the sage, whose
heavy wet garment trails in the water, while the
hard shell of an old turtle is partially submerged.
By taking tsubaki, or camellia, for his Hakuzoshi,
one of the performers in a No dance, Shimomura
Seiji, a brother of Shimomura Kwanzan, the well-
known Japanese painter, has very admirably
expressed the texture of the robe worn. And
again by using ho, or white magnolia wood, Naito
Shin has been able to give most delicate colouring
to his delightful and clever figures Punting and
A Girl of the Fujhvara Period in the Nara style of
carving. _
At the same exhibition were found a few works
by Hayashi Biun, who died recently at the age of
“serene music” (wood sculpture)
BY ISHIMOTO C1YOKAI
345
“AN APPEAL TO THE MOON” (WOOD SCULPTURE)
BY MORI HOSEI
The rare gift of Japanese artists of making the best
use of natural materials by taking every advantage
of their characteristics was clearly shown at this
exhibition in their use of wood. How cleverly the
natural grain of the wood has been utilised to
bring out special qualities and feelings was shown
in The Pointing of a Finger executed by Hiragushi
Denchu, showing the popular legendary Chinese
personages, Kwanzan and Jittoku, pointing to a
star they have just discovered; Serene Music (a
girl playing on the sho) an exceptionally clever
work by Ishimoto Gyokai, and a representation of
the homely looking FTotei, one of the seven gods ot
fortune, by the same carver; the graceful Kwannon
by Sekino Seiun; also in Hosei’s An Appeal to the
Moon. In fact almost all the pieces showed this
aptitude for utilising the grain of the wood most
effectively, and adapting the style of carving to the
quality of the wood.
Formerly only a few kinds of wood, more or
less costly in themselves, were used, but now ex-
periments are being made with a larger variety
drawn from different parts of the country. By the
use of a new and comparatively little known species
of wood from Hokkaido called domo, for his
splendid piece Koan, a Chinese sage on a turtle,
Yoshida Hakurei has brought out an expression of
delightful repose upon the face of the sage, whose
heavy wet garment trails in the water, while the
hard shell of an old turtle is partially submerged.
By taking tsubaki, or camellia, for his Hakuzoshi,
one of the performers in a No dance, Shimomura
Seiji, a brother of Shimomura Kwanzan, the well-
known Japanese painter, has very admirably
expressed the texture of the robe worn. And
again by using ho, or white magnolia wood, Naito
Shin has been able to give most delicate colouring
to his delightful and clever figures Punting and
A Girl of the Fujhvara Period in the Nara style of
carving. _
At the same exhibition were found a few works
by Hayashi Biun, who died recently at the age of
“serene music” (wood sculpture)
BY ISHIMOTO C1YOKAI
345