Enjoy the Hirakushi Denchu's works of “KIINSEIDO”.

 The term “Kiinseido” (気韻生動) means that a work of art is full of noble character, elegance, and vivacity. This phrase is said to have been coined by the Meiji-era thinker and art critic Kakuzo Okakura, who sought a state of being for painters. The exhibition will feature  works by Hirakushi Denchu, who lived through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras until the age of 107 and left behind wonderful wood sculptures, as well as contemporary artists Kiichi Sumikawa, Takashi Fukai, Katsura Funakoshi, Kimio Tsuchiya, Tatsuo Miyajima, Atsuhiko Misawa, Koji Tanada, Yoshihiro Suda, Tomotaka Yasui, Kohei Nawa, Yoshimasa Tsuchiya, secca, and paintings by Masato Kobayashi and Ryosuke Hara. Of particular note is the exhibition space, the Homotsuden Treasure Museum Chuso, built in 1921, and the display cases inside it, both of which are designated as National Important Cultural Properties. We hope you will enjoy the graceful works on display.

A boy in a naval uniform is singing with a hat in his right hand and sheet music in his left. This work was created by Hirakushi Denchu when he was 29 years old, and was purchased by the Imperial Household Agency after the Meiji Emperor saw it at an exhibition in 1901. The texture of the clothes, especially the scarf, is so skillful that it is hard to believe it is a wood sculpture. Denchu’s friend Yonehara Unkai is said to have remarked, "This must be the first time that a work created in three tatami mat room has been purchased by the Imperial Household.” It is said that when this work came on the market in his later years, Denchu, who lived to be 107 years old, appraised it himself. 

This work captures an instant in time when a young child is playing with a doll, and suddenly his attention is drawn to another toy. The model was Toshiro, Denchu’s eldest son, and with its round cheeks, smooth skin, and soft hair, this work brims with the artist’s love for his young child. In every way, it is a lovely figure. Sadly though, Toshiro was to die of tuberculosis at the young age of 17.  The work is known as a masterpiece of modern sculpture with its excellent use of space. Toshiro later died of tuberculosis at the young age of 17. This work was created when Denchu was 39 years old, at a time when he was already highly regarded as a brilliant woodcarver, and was purchased by the Emperor Meiji.

An old man relaxing and gazing at the sky, with a lamb sleeping comfortably in his lap. The pair seem to have surrendered themselves to the eternal flow of time, creating a truly magnificent atmosphere.  Unusually for Denchu, this work is not based on any specific literary, historical, or Chinese legend. Denchu himself later said, "I created this work because I was interested in the sleeping figure of a lamb.” It was first exhibited at the Nihon Bijutsuin exhibition in 1923, and is one of Denchu's most memorable colored works.

This is a portrait of Sanjiro Ichimura reading at the bathing ceremony on the occasion of the birth of Emperor Akihito.The model, Dr. Ichimura, a renowned scholar of Chinese and Oriental history, was chosen to name the Crown Prince on the occasion of his birth in 1933, and performed the honor of reading at the bathing ceremony. This statue is a portrait of him at that time. One of the finest examples of Denchu’s portraiture work, the realistic facial expression and stylized clothing are brought together by the coloring to create a work of elegance by a true master of his generation.

Kakusho, or “crane coat”, refers to a robe woven with crane feathers. When Kakuzo Okakura attended a soirée at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, hosted by renowned art collector Isabella Gardner, he wore a white kimono and the collar of his cloak was black, which was compared to a crane. This work is based on a photograph that appeared in a publication called "Nihon Bijutsu". The words "Asia is One" are written on the side of the pedestal, which is a famous line from Okakura's book "Eastern Ideals”.