Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 3. (Budapest, 1975)

FERENCZY, László: Traditions and new trends in the Japanese art of the Meiji era

;"). OTAJIKO KOMÁI: IKON PLATE WITH GOLD INLAY. KYOTO, LA TP] 19T.I I C E X T URY

. in 1896 by „The Birth of the Buddha'", a large-size work painted by Kanzan under the inspiration of the Horyu-ji.

i:i Small sculptures, used in the modern sense of the word, were represented by ivory and wood carvings as well as by bronze figurines. With the abandonment of the traditional Japanese costume ivory and wooden netsukes lost all practical function and their makers produced larger size carvings, okinomo in the Meiji era. One of Francis Hopp's favourite possessions, an ivory figurine of a girl arranging wistaria flowers carved by Hosei, was also put on show at the exhibition.

14 Fumikazu's Kannon figure of very delicate workmanship is based on Buddhist traditions. Tomonobu Okada, the carver of the „Sitting Bear", a round ivory statuette exhibited at the 1900 Paris World Fair approached his work from an absolutely modern and novel aspect. (Figure 2). He formed the body of the animal masterly in space and added an unusual artistic expression to the figure by rendering the fur of the bear through fine and dynamic hatches instead of the smooth surface seen on most ivory carvings. Another piece of art from the 1900 Paris World Fair is the Bronze Medal bearer wood-carving by Yonehara Unkai, on which a boy shelters nestlings in his hat. (Figure 3). This little genre sculpture illustrates a new trend in Japanese art as it bears the strong traces of western influence. It is at the same time an extraordinary ripe and expressive piece of art. It was meant for an independent round piece as indicated by the small pedestal. While ivory carvings were made primarily to meet western demands, wood-carving was preferred by traditional masters and by those of modern western schooling. Yonehara Unkai of Tokyo was one of the latter. Several of his similar works were put on show in Europe, and he was the maker of Jenner's portrait statue for the Japanese Union of Physicians as well.

15 The small bronze figurines of the Meiji era like the angling boy, the reading girl and the girl playing the shamisen, woman at rest, the reading man, reflect in their choice of subject the influence of late nineteenth century western art. Outstanding among them is Kosai 's bronze statuette, the monkey playing with his young and keeping a frog in its raised paw. (Figure 4). The statuette is realistic and most expressive, too. m