An elevated basin in archaic finish by Nakajima Yasumi I enclosed in the original wooden box titled simple Saido Kaki and dating from the Art-Deco era. Signed with an incised signature on the base, it is 27.5 cm (11 inches) diameter, 16 cm (6-1/4 inches) tall and in fine condition. Marks within the basin are testament to its use in flower arrangement using flower frogs.
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.
