JAPANESE COPPER JAR MITSUHARO

A fine copper jar carved and inlaid with a design of a cockerel, hen and chick in Katakiribo (carved) technique in gold, silver and various alloys. The exterior signed Katsura Mitsuharo (1871-1962) as is the original box.



Height: 9 inches (23 cms)

Diameter: 9.75 inches (25 cms)



For another example of work by Mitsuharo, a pupil of Toyokawa Kitsunaga, see: Victor Harris "Japanese Imperial Craftsmen, Meiji Art" from the Khalili Collection, British Museum Press, 1994, no 4.

JAPANESE SHORUSAI SILVER VASE

A fine small silver vase with flared mouth over cylindrical neck and curving shoulders tapering to a narrow foot. The sides decorated with large chrysanthemum blooms over stem, leaves and a meandering stream. The design worked in katakiri-bori engraving and inlaid in shakudo, shibuichi and gold honzogan.



Signed: Shorusai

Late 19th/early 20th century

Height: 6.5 inches (16 cms)



REF: J3.27

JAPANESE PAIR OF BRONZE CYLINDER VASES

A fine pair of bronze cylinder vases with elegant raised designs of cloisonne butterflies flying over trailing grape and vine designs. The leaves and fruit picked out in gold and alloys.



Unsigned

19th century

Height: 3.5 inches (9 cms)



REF: J3.29

JAPANESE OSHIMA JOUN BRONZE MODEL OF LEAPING CARP

A finely worked bronze model of a leaping carp amongst the waves. The open-mouthed removable fish with well detailed lighter bronze body, the eyes inlaid with gold and shakudo. The finely worked waves splashing out from the rising fish.



Signed: Oshima Joun

Late 19th century

Height: 9 inches (23 cms)

Width: 19 inches (48.5 cms)



REF: J3.33

JAPANESE BRONZE CENSER IN FORM OF SEATED HOUND

A fine and unusual bronze censer in the form of a seated hound. The animal with head raised and ears pricked. The neck with cord running around it and passing over the animal's back which also holds the censer lid. The slender legs supporting the arched body. The tail curling around the left haunch.



Late 18th century

Height: 4.5 inches (11.5 cms)



REF: J3.34

Nakedness

Brain (1979) writes about the connection between Japanese tattoo and nudity. The Japanese use tattooing to give personality to the naked body. A nude to them has never been considered "divine" or even beautiful as it has in the West. The sight of the naked body really does not have the slightest charm. So erotic drawings never depict naked people and erotic women are never nude. A man or woman tattooed by the irezumi artist is never defenselessly nude without clothes. In fact tattooing "clothes" a Japanese (p.64).

Hiler (1929) also states that tattooing in Japan was substituted for clothing: "In Japan nothing immodest is found in the fact that the sexes bathe together in a state of absolute nudity, but any representation of the nude in art is considered indecent (p.5).

My question is whether the purpose of theJapanese tattoo is to hide the naked body because nudity is embarrassing. Nomura's article, "Remodelling the Japanese Body" (1990) provides answers to this question. He gives an example of the American zoologist, Edward Morse's work, Japan Day by Day (1917). Semi-nakedness was a natural part of the landscape in Japan at that time.

Morse's intellectual interest was aroused by all kinds of things and manners Japanese. In particular, he seems to have been strongly impressed by the fact that the Japanese often lived in a semi-naked state. He repeatedly notes the steaming bodies of rickshaw men resting after a ride; a woman in only a loincloth lying down with a baby to make it go to sleep; fishermen with just their fundoshi (loincloths) on mending their nets.Naked bodies appeared to Morse's eyes everywhere in the Japanese landscape (pp.259-260).

Nakedness used to be an accepted part of daily life. The Japanese were accustomed to seeing nudity. It did not always imply eroticism. As Hiler (1929) mentions, the Japanese have the habit of bathing. In those days, people did not have a bathtub at home. They usually took a public bath. Tattoo wearers took more time for a bath to show their tattoos proudly. Besides, there were many jobs in which the workers exposed most of their bodies: rickshaw men, fisher people, firemen, ama (women divers) or carpenters were all semi-naked or naked. Both males and females did not care about being naked in public.

Imagine sumo wrestlers. They still wrestle in the traditional way. Their nakedness was a part of their job. Nomura (1990) also mentions that there was a travelogue which naked peasants showed up in the early modern times. The scene of nakedness was very natural to the Japanese. Probably, tattooed people were often seen as well.

.In terms of aesthetic views, however, Japan has different ways of expressing eroticism from the West. Michener (1954) explains that ukiyo-e avoids nakedness and foregoes slick suggestiveness (p.202). It does not mean that ukiyo-e ignores eroticism, but rather, it is free of erotic content (Michener, 1954).

It is often said that in Japan naked parts denote coquetry only when set in the context of the tension resulting from the relationship between the naked and covered parts. For example, the simple exposure of private parts is not immediately connected with coquetry (Nomura, 1990: 262).

One-point Tattoo

Contemporary tattoo style evolves from the West. Tattooing is treated as a body art and is gaining popularity among young people. "One-point tattoo" means getting only one tattoo, and is often used among young Japanese. Some Japanese choose to wear skulls, roses or hearts. The fashion in the entertainment world affects Japanese youth culture. For instance, my friend was a fan of a rock band and got a rose tattoo which represents a symbol of the band. Recently, Japanese entertainers with tattoos often show up on TV or in magazines. One Japanese pop singer has a tattoo of a bar code on her wrist, and the young tend to follow her style.

Nakano (1988) also states that tattooing has become more popular among Japanese females than males. Tattooing in Japan used to be dominated by males, but the tattooed female population is increasing. Females tend to be more keen on fashions than males, and tattooing is accepted as a fashion among Japanese women (p.195).

The attitudes towards the one-point tattoo and the full body tattoo are, more or less, different. Unlike the full body tattoo, the one-point tattoo is more acceptable as a fashion trend among the young in Japan.