A large bronze vase in classical Art-Deco form by master of the movement Nakajima Yasumi I signed on the base Yasumi-saku. It comes enclosed in a period wooden storage box. The vase is quite large at 18 x 15 x 36 cm (7 x 6 x 14-1/2 inches, weighing 4.5 kg (10 pounds) and is in excellent condition.
This is from the collection of a household formerly of samurai status, which, unlike many families, maintained its power over the centuries, into the modern age. The collection encompassed a great many antique and early modern Tea related works, Bronzes, porcelains and Lacquer wares. Without a successor in the current age, the collection was dispersed this Spring.
Nakajima Yasumi I (1877–1950), also known as Nakajima Toyoji, first came to prominence in 1908 when he received an award at the Senkatsu Kinen Exhibition. He went on to become one of the leading bronze artists of his generation, exhibiting regularly at the prestigious Teiten and later Nitten national exhibitions. Internationally active, he was awarded at the 1931 Belgian Exposition and served as a juror for the Japanese submissions to the 1925 Paris Exposition, where his own work was also recognized with honors. His bronzes entered important public collections, including those of the Imperial Household Agency and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. Respected both for his artistic achievements and his technical mastery, Nakajima played an influential role in mentoring a younger generation of bronze artists, helping to shape the development of modern Japanese metalwork. He was followed by his son, Nakajima Yasumi II, who, in turn, helped shape the bronze art direction in the post-war era.
