A Heavy white bronze Okimono of a bear by Sukegawa Hoshu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 15.5 x 19.5 x 17 cm (6 x 8 x 7 inches) and weighs 3.75 kg (over 8 pounds). Tarnished with age, it is in excellent condition.
Sukegawa Hoshu (1898-1975) was born in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. He first gained recognition in 1923 when he received a bronze prize at the Japan Fine Arts Association Exhibition, followed by consecutive silver prizes in subsequent years. In 1930, he participated in the founding of the Ibaraki Crafts Association and received the prefectural prize at its inaugural exhibition, continuing to exhibit thereafter. The following year, he was first accepted into the 12th Teiten (Imperial Art Exhibition), with further selections in the years that followed. He graduated from the Sculpture Department (Modeling Division) of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1932. In 1939, he received a Special Prize at the 3rd Shin-Bunten; later, in 1950, he served as a juror for the 6th Nitten and in 1951 was invited to exhibit. He became a board member of the Japan Traditional Crafts Association in 1950 and served as president of the Ibaraki Crafts Association from 1964 to 1973. Work by him is held in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art (Kogeikan) and Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of Modern Art among others.
