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Collector’s Guide Vol. 3: Kyō-yaki Crackled Celadon & Copper Red, Sen-oku Hakukokan Archaic Bronzes, Taishō Roman Woodblock Prints, and Sacred Japanese Symbols

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Introduction: Reading Marks, Prototypes, and Physical Construction

Across Japanese ceramics, bronze casting, woodblock printmaking, and architectural or ritual sculpture, the objects that reward close study are those where physical construction and documentary evidence meet. The impressed potter’s seal beneath a crackled celadon glaze, the cast numerals and workshop crest on a bronze bell, the paper corner pockets holding a translucent washi print, or the hollow-moulded reverse of a smoked clay plaque each record concrete decisions made in the studio or foundry.

In this third volume of the Sabiru Treasures Collector’s Guide, we examine five distinct traditions represented in our current curated offerings, pairing direct physical examination of each object with verified institutional records from the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken), the Nitten Exhibition archives, the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, the Museum of Kyoto, the Yumeji Art Museum, and the Canadian Conservation Institute:

  1. Kyō-yaki Crackled Celadon (Kannyū Seiji) and Copper Red (Kōsai): The documented career of Kyoto potter Maeda Masanori (前田正範, 1928–1992) and the reading of a globular flower vase bearing the impressed square seal "Senzan" (泉山).

  2. Ancient Chinese Ritual Bronzes in Modern Japanese Chūkin Casting: The early Western Zhou Kohaku (虎鎛, Tiger Bell) in Kyoto’s Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum (泉屋博古館) and its 1986 cast-bronze study by Kobayashi Shōmin (小林尚珉, 1912–1994) and Shōkōsha (尚工舎) of Osaka.

  3. Taishō Roman Graphic Lyricism and Mokuhanga: The career of poet-painter Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二, 1884–1934), his Nihonbashi shop Minatoya Ezōshiten (港屋絵草紙店), and the examination of a trio of "Black Cat" (Kuroneko) woodblock prints on Japanese washi.

  4. Architectural Clay and Esoteric Buddhist Metalwork: A Japanese smoked-clay dragon relief plaque (ibushi gaku-gawara, 辰) with wish-fulfilling jewel (hōju) and a cast copper-alloy Sword of Wisdom (Monju no Chie-ken / Kurikara-ken) on a lotus pedestal.

1. Kyō-yaki Crackled Celadon (Kannyū Seiji) and Copper Red (Kōsai): Maeda Masanori (1928–1992) and the "Senzan" (泉山) Seal

Two High-Fired Glaze Traditions on a Single Vessel

Among the most demanding technical pairings in studio porcelain and stoneware is the marriage of a translucent celadon glaze (seiji, 青磁) with an underglaze or in-glaze copper-red splash (kōsai, 紅彩 / shinsha, 辰砂). Both effects depend on a carefully controlled reduction atmosphere inside the kiln, where oxygen is restricted during high firing:

  • Crackled Celadon (Kannyū Seiji, 貫入青磁): Trace iron oxide in the glaze reduces in the kiln to produce a cool sea-green or jade-toned translucency. As the fired vessel cools, slight differences in thermal contraction between the clay body and the glaze layer form a deliberate network of fine crackles (kannyū, 貫入) across the surface, catching light along every curve.

  • Reduction Copper Red (Kōsai / Shinsha): Copper oxide is notoriously volatile at high temperatures; even slight shifts in kiln atmosphere or placement can cause the pigment to burn away or turn olive-grey. When reduction succeeds, the copper blooms into a cloud of deep crimson and oxblood red, feathering outward into soft rose and amber halos where it meets the surrounding celadon glaze.

Documented Career of Maeda Masanori (前田正範, 1928–1992)

According to the Nihon Bijutsu Nenkan (Japanese Art Yearbook) obituary archive maintained by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (東京文化財研究所) [S1] and the official Nitten Special Selection (Tokusen) records [S2], Kyoto ceramic artist Maeda Masanori (前田正範) established a distinguished postwar exhibition record:

  • Early Training in Kyoto: Born in Kyoto Prefecture on July 22, 1928, he graduated from Ritsumeikan Technical School in 1945, joined the Kyoto Ceramic Artists’ Club (京都陶芸家クラブ) in 1953, and studied ceramic art under the renowned Kyoto master Kiyomizu Rokubey VI (六代清水六兵衛) [S1].

  • From the Art Name "Goun" (五雲) to "Masanori" (正範): In 1955, he achieved his first selection at the 11th Nitten Exhibition under the art name Goun (五雲) with a cobalt-blue line-patterned jar (Gosu senmon tsubo). In 1957, he began exhibiting under his given name Masanori (正範), winning both the Asahi Shimbun Prize at the Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Art Exhibition (現代日本陶芸展朝日新聞社賞) and the Governor’s Prize at the Kyoto Craft Art Exhibition (京都工芸美術展知事賞) in that same year [S1].

  • Institutional Leadership and Nitten Tokusen Honors: In 1971, he became an invited Mukansa (non-vetted) artist at the Kyoto Municipal Art Exhibition (京都市美術展), later serving repeatedly on its jury; in 1978, he participated in founding the Japan New Craft Artists League (日本新工芸家連盟) [S1]. At the national Nitten Exhibition, he was awarded the prestigious Special Selection (Tokusen, 特選) twice—first at the 11th Reorganized Nitten in 1979 for his vessel "At the Sand Dunes" (砂丘にて) and again at the 18th Nitten in 1986 for "Morning Sun" (朝陽) [S1] [S2]. He also received the Kōfū Craft Prize (光風工芸賞) at the 71st Kōfūkai Exhibition and the All Nippon Airways Prize (全日空賞) at the 7th Japan New Craft Exhibition in 1985, before passing away in Kyoto on November 22, 1992 [S1].

Examining the Physical Vessel (H 18.5 × D 18.0 cm; Impressed Base Seal 泉山)

The globular flower jar in our current curation measures 18.5 cm in height, 18.0 cm in diameter, and 6.0 cm across the mouth. Thrown on the wheel with a full, buoyant shoulder that curves inward to a low, softly rolled lip, the vessel is enveloped inside and out in a luminous pale sea-green celadon glaze traced with an even crackle network. Across the front belly sweeps a dramatic, cloud-like blush of copper red (kōsai) whose dense oxblood core dissolves at the margins into warm rose and olive-amber tones.

Turning the vessel over reveals an unglazed circular foot ring of fine buff Kyoto clay showing a warm orange-tan kiln blush (hi-iro, 火色) along the margin where clay meets glaze. Within the recessed, celadon-glazed base, the potter’s square seal reading "Senzan" (泉山) is crisply impressed into the clay beneath the pooling green glaze.

2. Ancient Bronzes in Modern Japanese Chūkin Casting: Kobayashi Shōmin (1912–1994), Shōkōsha, and the 1986 Kohaku (虎鎛) Bell

The Early Western Zhou Prototype in Kyoto’s Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum

In the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum (泉屋博古館) in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto—founded to preserve and research the Sumitomo Collection (住友コレクション) of ancient Chinese bronzes—stands one of the collection’s signature ritual musical instruments: the Kohaku (虎鎛, listed in the museum’s official English catalog as "Bell Bo with taotie and tiger design"), dated to the early Western Zhou period (西周前期, 11th–10th century BCE) [S6].

Unlike an oval zhong bell with an arched rim, a bo (鎛) is a flat-rimmed suspended percussion bell hung vertically from an ornate suspension loop (chū, 鈕). As recorded in the museum’s bronze gallery documentation [S6] and the accompanying Sumitomo commentary sheet, the Sen-oku Hakukokan Kohaku (original museum bronze: height 43.9 cm, weight 14.1 kg) is celebrated for the architectural boldness of its silhouette:

  • Flanking both sides of the elliptical body are vertical openwork flanges shaped as stalking tigers (kogata, 虎形) with curled tails and hooked claws.

  • Perched atop those side flanges at the upper corners are outward-facing crested birds (hōgata, 鳳形).

  • Across the central quadrants of the bell face, divided by raised studded vertical ridges, are archaic zoomorphic taotie (饕餮文) masks cast over fine spiral thunder-scroll (raimon, 雷文) grounds.

Documented Career of Metal Artist Kobayashi Shōmin (小林尚珉, 1912–1994)

To create a faithful reduced-scale cast-bronze study (H 12.0 × W 10.0 × D 7.5 cm) of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Kohaku in 1986, Sumitomo Life Insurance Company (住友生命保険相互会社) commissioned the Kyoto master metal artist Kobayashi Shōmin (小林尚珉) in collaboration with the historic Osaka metalwork house Shōkōsha (株式会社尚工舎, Kōraibashi, Higashi-ku, Osaka).

According to the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken) obituary record [S3], the Nitten Kikka Prize roster [S4], and the Museum of Kyoto (京都文化博物館) Gion Festival archive [S5], Kobayashi Shōmin’s career spanned more than five decades at the pinnacle of Japanese metalwork (kinkō, 金工):

  • Training and Early Exhibitions: Born in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture on February 10, 1912 (given name Shōji, 尚司), he studied metalwork under Takahashi Ryōun (高橋凌雲) and was first selected for a national exhibition in 1940 at the Imperial 2600th Anniversary奉祝美術展 (Hōshuku Bijutsuten) with his iron tectonic-pattern vase (Tetsu chōkōmon kabin) [S3].

  • 1952 Restoration of the Kyoto Gion Festival Kikusui-boko Float: When Kyoto citizens revived the historic Kikusui-boko (菊水鉾) float for the Gion Festival (祇園祭) in 1952, Kobayashi Shōmin crafted the golden chrysanthemum finial (kinfū, 金風 / 鉾頭) and decorative metal fittings (kazari kanagu, 錺金具) alongside master Kyoto painters and sculptors [S5].

  • National Nitten Honors and Cultural Recognition: He received the Hokuto Prize (北斗賞) at the 10th Nitten in 1954 for his silver cosmetic box (Gin no kobako) and the Kikka Prize (菊華賞) at the 7th Reorganized Nitten in 1964 for his decorative tray (Morikaki, 盛器) [S3] [S4]. He became a Nitten Member (日展会員) in 1969, served on the Nitten jury, received the Kyoto Art Culture Prize (京都美術文化賞) in 1984, and was honored as a Kyoto Prefectural Person of Cultural Merit (京都府文化功労者) in 1985, passing away in Kyoto on November 22, 1994 [S3].

Reading the Three Cast Marks and Dual-Inscribed Tomobako

Our 1986 Kohaku bronze bell preserves every physical mark and document linking the object to its prototype, sculptor, and workshop:

  1. Three Cast Marks on the Lower Bronze Register: Vertically aligned on the smooth lower band of the bell body are three cast marks: - Top: The diamond-shaped Sumitomo igeta (井桁, well-frame) crest. - Middle: The Western year numerals 1986. - Bottom: The recessed square seal 尚珉 (Shōmin).

  2. Original Printed Documentation (Three Inserts): - The white folded Sumitomo Life Insurance Kohaku (虎鎛) leaflet detailing the Sen-oku Hakukokan prototype and the commission of Kobayashi Shōmin. - The yellow Shōkōsha biography sheet (小林尚珉先生 略歴, certified by 株式会社 尚工舎 識). - The red-bordered Shōkōsha (尚工舎 / SKS) quality card.

  3. Dual-Inscribed Paulownia Tomobako: - Exterior of Lid: Brush-inscribed 鋳銅製 虎鎛 尚珉 (Chūdō-sei Kohaku Shōmin, "Cast-Bronze Tiger Bo Bell, Shōmin") with red square seal. - Interior of Lid: Brush-inscribed 大阪市東区高麗橋二丁目廿番地 尚工舎 謹製 (Ōsaka-shi Higashi-ku Kōraibashi 2-chōme 20-banchi Shōkōsha kinsei, "Respectfully produced by Shōkōsha") with red seal, accompanied by its fitted black-lacquered wooden display stand and yellow cloth.

3. Taishō Roman Graphic Design: Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934), Minatoya Ezōshiten, and the "Black Cat" (Kuroneko) Woodblock Prints

Takehisa Yumeji and the Art of Everyday Paper

Few figures shaped the visual sensibility of early 20th-century Japan—known as Taishō Roman (大正ロマン)—more deeply than poet, painter, book designer, and graphic artist Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二, 1884–1934). As documented in the official chronology of the Yumeji Art Museum (夢二郷土美術館) in Okayama [S7]:

  • Born Takehisa Mojirō (竹久茂次郎) in Oku-gun, Okayama Prefecture on September 16, 1884, he published his bestselling Yumeji Gashū: Haru no Maki (Yumeji Picture Collection: Spring Volume) in December 1909 and held his first solo exhibition at the Kyoto Okazaki Library in November 1912 [S7].

  • In October 1914 (Taishō 3), Yumeji opened the celebrated shop Minatoya Ezōshiten (港屋絵草紙店) in Gofukuchō, Nihonbashi, Tokyo (東京日本橋呉服町) [S7]. For the two years of its operation, Minatoya became a magnet for poets, designers, and young women, offering small-format woodblock prints (mokuhanga), illustrated books, chiyogami papers, decorative envelopes, parasols, and浴衣 (yukata) fabrics that brought modern lyricism into daily life.

  • Between 1931 and 1933, Yumeji traveled through the United States and Europe—lecturing on modern creative woodblock prints (sōsaku hanga) in Berlin in February 1933—before passing away on September 1, 1934 at the age of 49 [S7].

Examining the Three "Black Cat" (Kuroneko) Woodblock Prints and Their Mounting

Cats—particularly the velvety silhouette of the black cat (kuroneko, 黒猫)—recur throughout Yumeji’s graphic illustrations, bookplates, and small woodblock designs. In our current offering, a coordinated trio of small Japanese woodblock prints after Takehisa Yumeji’s Kuroneko motifs is presented in uniform square white window mats (visible window opening approx. 8.4 × 6.5 cm each):

  1. Seated Black Cat with Round Mirror and Numeral "8": A silhouette of a seated black cat with fine white reserve lines defining its ears, whiskers, and curled tail, gazing toward a circular mirror beside the numeral 8.

  2. Arched Black Cat on a Wall Ledge Above a Mouse: A black cat standing high on a shaded architectural ledge with its back arched and tail raised, peering down at a small grey mouse climbing the vertical wall below.

  3. Prowling Black Cat with Yellow Eyes: A black cat creeping low across the ground plane in profile, its head turned toward the viewer with pale yellow-tinted eyes and crisp white whiskers against the velvety sumi black block impression.

Physical Inspection of the Verso (Non-Destructive Corner-Pocket Mounting): As shown in our reverse photographs of all three mats, each print is impressed on thin, fibrous Japanese washi paper whose reverse clearly exhibits the natural ink bleed-through (ura-nuke, 裏抜け) characteristic of water-based woodblock printing. Rather than being glued down to a backing board, each washi sheet is held in place by four triangular white paper photo-corner pockets, allowing the original paper edges and reverse ink impressions to remain intact and inspectable.

4. Guardians in Smoked Clay and Copper Alloy: The Ibushi Dragon Plaque (辰) and Buddhist Sword of Wisdom (Monju no Chie-ken / Kurikara-ken)

Smoked Silver Clay and Burnished Gold: The Ibushi Dragon Gaku-gawara (美術陶器 額瓦)

In traditional Japanese architecture, roof tiles (kawara, 瓦) do far more than shed rain: ridge-end tiles (onigawara) and decorative relief plaques (gaku-gawara, 額瓦) serve as auspicious guardians over the household. The silvery-grey metallic sheen of traditional smoked tiles (ibushi-gawara, いぶし瓦) is achieved not by painting the surface, but by introducing hydrocarbon smoke at the conclusion of firing so that a fine layer of carbon bonds directly to the clay skin.

Our unused vintage decorative tile plaque—housed in its original textured box embossed in gold "Bijutsu Tōki Gaku-gawara" (美術陶器 額瓦, Art Ceramic Framed Tile)—depicts the Dragon (Tatsu, 辰), the fifth sign of the East Asian zodiac and the classical ruler of clouds, rain, and dynamic yang energy:

  • High-Relief Sculpting and Gold Highlights: Emerging in bold three-dimensional relief from swirling smoked-grey clouds and cresting waves, the dragon coils across the curved tile face with burnished gold highlights across its horns, whiskers, dorsal scales, and five-clawed talons.

  • The Sacred Wish-Fulfilling Jewel (Hōju, 如意宝珠): Directly beneath the dragon’s bearded jaw flames a three-pointed golden hōju jewel, symbolizing the fulfillment of auspicious wishes and protection of the home.

  • Calligraphic Kanji, Maker’s Seal, and Hollow-Moulded Reverse: The upper right corner bears the raised gold character 辰 (Tatsu), balanced at the lower left by a recessed square seal stamped in red and gold. Turning the plaque over reveals the deep hollow-moulded depressions that follow the dragon’s relief to prevent warping in the kiln, together with two pre-formed upper suspension holes for the included braided gold hanging cord or tabletop display on its folding black stand.

The Esoteric Sword of Wisdom: Monju no Chie-ken (文殊の知恵剣) and Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣)

In Japanese Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō, 密教), the double-edged ritual sword (ken, 剣) does not harm living beings; instead, it severs ignorance (mumyō, 無明), delusion, and spiritual obstacles. Two closely allied iconographies converge in this 14 cm cast copper-alloy altar and scholar’s studio ornament:

  • The Sword of Manjuśrī (Monju no Chie-ken, 文殊の知恵剣): Wielded in the right hand of Monju Bosatsu (文殊菩薩, Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom), the upright vajra-hilted sword cuts through illusion to reveal clear insight.

  • The Dragon-Wrapped Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣): Associated with Fudō Myōō (不動明王, Acala, the Immovable Wisdom King), the blade is wreathed in a pierced mandorla of rising flames while the dragon king Kurikara (倶利伽羅龍王) coils up the central ridge toward the tip.

Physical Construction (Two Interlocking Cast Components): Our photographs document the ornament both assembled and separated into its two precision-cast copper-alloy components:

  1. The Removable Flaming Blade and Vajra Hilt: The upper blade is framed by an openwork flame halo (kaen, 火焔) with a serpentine dragon cast in relief along the central spine, terminating below in a multi-pronged ritual thunderbolt hilt (dokko / vajra grip).

  2. The Triangular Lotus-Petal Pedestal: The separate stepped triangular base is cast along its lower border with a continuous band of overlapping lotus petals (rengeza, 蓮華座) and features a central cross-shaped (+) socket into which the pronged vajra hilt seats vertically.

5. Conservation-Grade Care for Glazed Ceramics, Patinated Bronzes, and Washi Prints

Following the preventive conservation standards published by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) [S8] and museum collections care practice:

  • Crackled Celadon (Kannyū Seiji) and Ibushi Ceramic Reliefs: Support ceramic vessels with both hands around the body (never lifting by the rim alone). Dust the smoked matte surface and gold relief highlights of an ibushi plaque gently with a soft, dry brush or lint-free cloth; avoid abrasive cleaners, chemical polishes, or prolonged soaking that could stain unglazed clay or abrade gold leaf/pigment [S8].

  • Cast Bronze (Chūkin) and Copper-Alloy Ornaments: Preserve the original dark-green and antique-brass patina of the 1986 Kohaku bell and the Buddhist wisdom sword by dusting only with a dry, soft microfibre cloth. Never apply metal polish, acids, or oils, and store the Kohaku bell in its breathable paulownia tomobako when not on view.

  • Japanese Woodblock Prints (Mokuhanga) on Washi: Display woodblock prints away from direct sunlight and high humidity to protect vegetable and carbon pigments and prevent foxing on washi paper. Because the three Yumeji Kuroneko prints are mounted non-destructively in paper corner pockets, avoid pressing directly on the print window when framing under UV-filtering glazing.

6. Explore Our Live Catawiki Auctions & Collector’s Archive

At Sabiru Treasures, every work we offer is photographed in full detail—including base marks, reverse construction, original leaflets, and tomobako inscriptions—so collectors worldwide can acquire Japanese art with complete confidence.

Primary Sources & Institutional References ([S1]–[S8])

 
 
 

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