Katori Masahiko

Bell tower with a Katori bell on the UBC campus in Vancouver .

Katori Masahiko ( Japanese 香 取 正彦 ; born January 15, 1899 in Tokyo ; died November 19, 1988 ) was a Japanese artisan (metal) of the Shōwa period .

life and work

Katori Masahiko was the eldest son of the artisan Katori Hozuma ( 香 取 秀 真 ; 1874–1954). First he studied Western painting at the private art school Taiheiyō gakai kenkyūjo ( 太平洋 画 会 研究所 ), but at the same time learned from his father to design metal sculptures. He then attended the state training facility Tōkyō bijutsu gakkō (the predecessor facility of the Geidai ) and graduated from the metalworking department there in 1925. In the same year he submitted a contribution to the "International Exhibition of Decorative Arts" in Paris and won a bronze medal. In 1928 one of his works was accepted for the Teiten exhibition, which was followed by other accepted works over the years. At the 8th Nitten exhibition in 1952, he exhibited a bowl on which a dragon was mounted. For this piece he was awarded the Japanese Academy of Arts Prize.

Katori made flower containers, bowls, and bells for Buddhist temples, some of the bells in collaboration with his father, the others after his father's death - all in an impressive style. - In his later years, Katori became active in the transmission of traditional handicrafts and often directed younger artists. In 1973 he received an award at the Exhibition of Traditional Arts ( 伝 統 工 芸 , Dentō kōgei). In 1977 he was awarded the “ Living National Treasure ” for his metal casting technology.

Katori's other activities include working on the State Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Goods and leading the Japan Craft Association for many years . He is also the author of several books on metalwork, including Kattori Masahiko Sakuhinshū ( 香 取 正彦 作品 集 , “Katori Masahiko's Collected Works”) and Rutsubo Koborebanashi ( 坩 堝 こ ぼ れ 話 , “Crucible Ankedotes”).

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b} Teiten ( 帝 展 ) was the abbreviation for the annual state art exhibition Teikoku bijutsu tenrankai ( 帝国 美術展 覧 会 ), which - privatized since 1946 - is called Nitten ( 日 展 ), Nihon bijutsu tenrankai ( 日本 美術展 覧 会 ).

literature

• Tazawa, Yutaka: Katori Masahiko . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art . Kodansha International, 1981, ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus, Katori is the family name, Masahiko the first name.