Bronze vase by Yoshitaka Kamitaka

Japan, Showa period, 1926 – 1989

Height: 17 3/4 inches, 45 cm
Width: 4 3/8 inches, 11 cm

A slender and tall bronze vase cast in two interlinking sections. The vase tapers towards the slightly splayed top. It is covered in a chocolate patina. The recessed base is signed Yoshitaka Kamitaka. The piece is preserved in its original tomobako or wooden box. The top is inscribed “Chudo kabin” [Cast bronze flower vessel] and the back Kamitaka Yoshitaka, with the seal Kamitaka.

This elegant vase was included in the 10th Nitten exhibition in 1954 and is listed in the catalogue as number 112. Yoshitaka Kamitaka lives in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku Island. No precise year of birth of the artist is known. He is a member of the group Sanuki Mingu-ren, which promotes traditional crafts made in Kagawa Prefecture with a touch of modernity. The group was set up by George Nakashima (1905-1990) in 1963.