Page 7 - Bonhams September 12 2018 New York Japanese Works of Art

Ancient Skills, New Worlds
Twenty Treasures of Japanese
Metalwork from a Private Collection

Emperor Meiji (r.1867-1912), circa 1880

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Meiji These measures temporarily threatened to deprive two
Restoration, one of the key dates in the history not groups—casters of Buddhist bronzes and decorators
just of Japan but of East Asia as a whole. In 1867 and of swords—of their livelihoods, but as early as 1872
1868, a coalition of young, reforming samurai swept the Meiji government had decided to devote nearly one
aside the military government of the shogun and percent of the nation’s entire annual national budget to
established a new, semi-constitutional regime based in an ambitious display of Japanese goods at the Vienna
Tokyo, with the youthful Emperor Meiji as its symbolic World Exposition held the following year.
head.
The outstanding critical success of the Japanese
The new administration moved rapidly to establish its displays at Vienna, particularly metalwork, spurred
authority and introduce widespread reforms, several the founding of Kiryū Kōshō Kaisha (the “Pioneering
of which had an immediate and lasting impact on Craft and Commerce Company”) tasked with
the world of art and craft in general and metalwork in promoting the nation’s arts and crafts in the United
particular. An edict issued in 1870 established Shinto States and Europe. Consistent and energetic official
as the state religion and downgraded Buddhism, a faith support for export crafts, coupled with the efforts of a
introduced to Japan from the Asian continent more series of inspired entrepreneurs, opened up exciting
than a millennium earlier. In 1876 another law put an new opportunities for Japan’s unrivaled craftsmen
end to the samurais’ time-honored right to wear two and paved the way for a golden age of Japanese
swords, typically adorned with elaborate fittings made metalwork, some of whose highest achievements are
from gold, silver, and a range of copper alloys. celebrated on the following pages.

ANCIENT SKILLS, NEW WORLDS TWENTY TREASURES OF JAPANESE METALWORK FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION | 5