Item number: X73

Year: AD 1961

Material: Bronze

Size: 238 x 122 x 15 mm

Weight: 695 g

Provenance: Osaka Minami Art Museum Co., Ltd. 2008

This is a fude-sara (brush tray) depicting Raijin (the Shinto god of lightning and thunder), crafted by Suga Shōen II.

The obverse (concave side) of the tray features a high-relief depiction of the traditional deity, characterized by bovine horns, a ferocious countenance with wide-open eyes, a broad nose, a wide mouth revealing sharp fangs, and a highly muscular physique. Swirling ribbons or cloud-like patterns drape over his back and flanks. One of his hands is raised high holding a drumstick, while the other arm is bent at the elbow, conveying a sense of exerted force. His feet are bird-like talons, with one pressing downwards and the other raised, capturing a dynamic jumping posture. In the bottom right corner, the name ‘Shōen’ is incised, serving as the signature of the creator, Suga Shōen. The reverse side is plain, yet bears a concave indentation corresponding to the figure on the obverse, indicating traces of repoussé or hand-hammering techniques.

The wooden box (tomobako) accompanying this object bears the handwritten signature ‘Shōen’ and a red seal impression of the seal-script character ‘Shō’ on the lid, both functioning as the artist’s attestation. A white paper label is affixed to the box, providing pertinent information regarding the creator and the work. The underside of the box bears the inscription of the object’s title, Raijin Fude-sara (Thunder God Brush Tray). In records of other extant examples of this item, some are affixed with a red-ground label with black characters reading: ‘In Commemoration of the Completion of the Jōganji River Arimine Reservoir Power Generation Project / Hokuriku Electric Power Company / June, Shōwa 36’. This commemorates the construction of the Arimine Dam along the Jōganji River system in Toyama Prefecture, a project undertaken by the Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which was completed and commissioned in June, AD 1961. The object was presumably presented as a gift to individuals who held relevant positions or made significant contributions to the project.

Within the realm of traditional Japanese metalwork, the Suga Shōen lineage of master founders is highly renowned for its mastery of the rōgata chūzō (lost-wax casting) technique. Suga Shōen I fully transmitted his exquisite traditional casting skills to his eldest son, thereby initiating the family’s illustrious legacy in modern craft history. Inheriting this mantle, Suga Shōen II (born Suga Seiichi, AD 1897–1979) was born in Tokyo and elevated this craft to its zenith during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. Following his apprenticeship under his father, he formally succeeded to the name in AD 1925 (alternatively recorded as AD 1935). His works received recurrent acclaim at the Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition), of which he became a member. Furthermore, he was designated a Holder of Intangible Cultural Property of Toyama Prefecture in AD 1964, and subsequently, in AD 1974, he was honoured as a national-level Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (commonly known as a ‘Living National Treasure’) and was decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class. Following the demise of Shōen II, successor craftsmen of the lineage, including Suga Shōen III and Suga Getsushin IV, have remained active in the metalwork community, perpetuating the family’s traditional precision casting of incense burners and flower vessels, thereby ensuring this invaluable national-level intangible cultural heritage continues to be transmitted and celebrated locally.

The history of Takaoka copperware (Takaoka dōki), which originated in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, dates back to AD 1611, when Maeda Toshinaga, the lord of the Kaga Domain, summoned seven master founders to establish workshops in Kanaya-machi to stimulate the local economy, thereby inaugurating the Takaoka casting industry. However, during the subsequent wave of Westernisation in the Meiji Restoration, traditional craftsmen, including those of Takaoka, were plunged into financial hardship due to the loss of patronage from the Shogunate and the feudal lords. This crisis prompted the Meiji government to establish the title of ‘Imperial Court Artist’ (Teishitsu Gigeiin) in AD 1890, providing lifelong stipends and state commissions that successfully rescued these top-tier master artists from obsolescence. Following the Second World War, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture sustained this preservationist spirit by establishing the system of ‘Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Properties’ in AD 1955, shifting the preservation focus to the intangible transmission of ‘craft techniques’ themselves; the state funded these masters to take on apprentices, ensuring their skills would not perish with them. Concurrently, to counter the impact of rapid industrialisation on folk industries, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry enacted the ‘Traditional Craftsman’ (Dentō Kōgeishi) system in AD 1974. This initiative, which required passing rigorous national examinations and possessing at least twelve years of practical experience, aimed to revitalise hundreds of local craft-producing regions across Japan. Under these protective policies, Takaoka copperware—which had evolved over four centuries to develop highly specialised techniques in casting, engraving (chōkin), and patination—was designated by the state in AD 1975 as one of the inaugural ‘Traditional Crafts’ (Dentōteki Kōgeihin). Today, while upholding its prestigious heritage, Takaoka copperware actively engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations with contemporary designers to produce uniquely styled utensils for modern living.

物件編號: X73

年代: 公元 1961 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 238 x 122 x 15 mm

重量: 695 g

來源: 大阪南美術会館 2008

這是一個雷神筆皿，二代須賀松園所造。

筆皿的正面（凹面）以高浮雕形式刻劃了傳統信仰中的「雷神」。該神祇頭生牛角，面目猙獰，雙目圓睜，寬鼻闊嘴，口露獠牙。肌肉虯結，背部與身側伴有飄帶，或雲氣紋。其一手高舉鼓槌，一手曲肘，狀似施力。雙腳呈鳥爪狀，其一足下踏，另一足上抬，形似跳躍。右下角陰刻鐫銘「松園」，為製作者須賀松園的署名。背面光素，但人物處有凹痕，可能是錘鍛技法的痕跡。

此物所附木箱，正面箱蓋上寫有「松園」與篆書「松」的朱字紅印，皆為署名。以白紙條貼有作者及作品的相關資料。箱底上寫有品名「雷神筆皿」。在其他此文物的紀錄中，有些其上貼有紅底黑字「常願寺川有峰貯水池発電計画完成記念 / 北陸電力株式会社 / 昭和三十六年六月」，紀念由北陸電力株式會社承接的富山縣常願寺川水系的有峰水壩建設工程，於公元1961年6月落成並啟用。可能是贈與在工程中有相關職務或貢獻的人士。

在日本傳統金屬工藝領域中，鑄金世家「須賀松園」以「蠟型鑄造」技術聞名。「初代須賀松園」將傳統鑄造技術完整傳授給長子，進而開啟了家族在近代工藝界的輝煌傳承。繼承衣缽的「二代須賀松園」（本名須賀精一，生卒年公元1897至1979年）生於東京，於大正至昭和時期將此工藝推向巔峰，他師承父親後於公元1925年（或記載為1935年）正式襲名；他不僅作品屢獲日展肯定並成為會員，更於公元1964年被認定為富山縣無形文化財技術保持者，隨後在公元1974年榮獲國家級的「國指定無形文化財保持者」殊榮並獲頒勳四等瑞寶章。在二代松園逝世後，該家族的「三代須賀松園」與「四代須賀月真」等後代匠人仍持續活躍於金屬工藝界，延續著家族經典的香爐、花器等精密鑄造傳統。

起源於日本富山縣高岡市的「高岡銅器」歷史可追溯至公元1611年，當時加賀藩主前田利長為振興地方產業，特別召集七位優秀鑄造師至金屋町開設工廠，拉開了高岡鑄造業的序幕；然而，在隨後明治維新的西化浪潮中，包含高岡工匠在內的傳統職人們因失去幕府與藩主支持而生活陷入困頓，促使明治政府於公元1890年透過給予「帝室技藝員」稱號、終身年俸與國家委託，成功挽救了瀕臨絕嗣的頂尖大師。二戰後，文部科學省延續此精神，於公元1955年創設「重要無形文化財保持者」制度（俗稱「人間國寶」），將焦點擴大至「工藝技術」本身的無形傳承，由國家撥款資助大師授徒以確保技術延續；與此同時，面對工業化巨浪對民間產業的衝擊，通商產業省於公元1974年立法推出「傳統工藝士」制度，透過嚴格國考與12年以上資歷門檻振興地方工藝產地，在此政策下，歷經四百多年演變、發展出「鑄造、彫金、著色」高度分工精湛技藝的高岡銅器，也於公元1975年榮獲日本國家指定為首批「傳統的工藝品」。時至今日，高岡銅器除維繫了傳承的名聲外，更積極與現代美學及設計師跨界合作，製作獨具風格的現代生活器物。