Page 78 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Nov 2014 Hong Kong
P. 78
THE KAISENDO MUSEUM
The Kaisendo Museum is a situated in Kaminoyama Lacquerware from the collection was illustrated in the
city in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. It was founded in important publication 美 術 撰 集〈 第 8 卷巻 〉 彫 漆 (1974
1951 by Mr Kenzo Hasegawa (1886-1957), the owner 年 ) by 日本の文樣研究会 , Hirokazu Arakawa, Choshitsu,
of a large factory manufacturing raw silk. Prior to the Bijutsu Zenshu (Carved Lacquer), vol.8, Kyoto, 1974, and
outbreak of World War Two, Mr Hasegawa focused on variously exhibited in the Tokyo National Museum, Oriental
collecting Japanese swords and indeed to this day the Lacquer Arts, 1977; the Osaka Municipal Art Museum,
museum boasts a fine collection of Japanese swords and Japan, Ming and Qing Ceramics and Works of Art, 1980;
sword fittings. The establishment of a private museum and the Tokugawa Art Museum and Nezu Institute of Fine
of Chinese and Japanese ceramics by his brother, the Arts, Choshitsu (Carved Lacquer), Tokyo, 1984.
renowned collector Mr Shouichi Inoue, combined with
the advice of his nephew, Mr Shouhei Inoue, inspired Mr The lacquerware collection, carefully preserved by the
Hasegawa to form his own museum in 1951 and to turn Hasegawa family for over 60 years, encompasses
his attention to Chinese lacquer. pieces spanning 500 years from the Yuan to the Qing
dynasty, and is displayed in two galleries providing the
With a connoisseur’s eye and impeccable taste, Mr visitor with an exceptional opportunity to view Chinese
Hasegawa acquired extremely rare lacquerware mostly lacquer at its finest.
between 1948 and 1950. Important advice was given by
Mr Takushin Kushi, a scholar of Asian art and Mr Hirota It is perhaps a further testament to the importance of the
Fukkosai, the founder of Kochukyo. This expert advice is Kaisendo museum collection that arguably the greatest
evident in the pre-eminence and the rarity of the carved collector of Chinese art, Sir Percival David, made special
lacquerware pieces in the museum collection. arrangements to view the collection on what was
probably his very last visit to Japan.
