Height: 9 7/8 inches, 25 cm
Width: 11 1/2 inches, 29 cm

Bronze flower vase

by Ikeda Itsudo
Japan, Showa period, 1926 – 1989

A bronze vase of hexagonal form, supported on a flat base.  The sides slope outwards and turn inwards at the shoulder.  The neck is straight and short and terminates in an open mouth.  The sides and the shoulder are facetted. The vase is signed on the base with the signature of the artist.  It retains the original wooden box, tomobako with the inscription Chudo, kirikomi-mon, kabin, Itsudo chu (cast bronze, with faceted design, flower vessel, cast by Itsudo, with the seal Itsudo).

Ikeda Itsudo (1914-1999) was originally from Niigata prefecture and studied metal art under two great masters Miyata Rando (1856-1919) and Sasaki Shodo (1882-1961). The latter was a Ningen Kokuho artist, and was designated Important Intangible Cultural Asset. Ikeda Itsudo exhibited widely and won prizes at the Bunten, Nitten and the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibitions (Nihon Dento Kogei tei). He was designated a holder of Intangible Cultural Asset (Mukei Bunkazai shoyusha) from Niigata Prefecture for his skills in cast bronze.