Artist Details
| Artist | Yabu Meizan |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1853–1934 |
| Field | Japanese Ceramics |
| Notable Works | - |
Yabu Meizan was an Osaka-based ceramic master active from the Meiji into the Taishō period, one of the foremost Satsuma ware artists representing modern Japan. As a master of Satsuma ware, he earned high acclaim both in Japan and abroad, exhibiting at numerous international expositions during the Meiji period.
Through delicate enamel painting and an exceptional aesthetic sensibility, he introduced the artistic value of Japanese ceramics to the world. He is known as an important figure of the Meiji government who supported the development of Japan's export industry, and his works are today held in museums and renowned collections around the world.
He is highly regarded as an indispensable presence when discussing modern Kyō-yaki and Satsuma ware.
Yabu Meizan's works are distinguished above all by the meticulous overglaze painting that is rightly called microscopic virtuoso craftsmanship. Crowds of figures, festival scenes, scenes from The Tale of Genji, wind-and-rain landscapes — packed onto small vessel surfaces, the abundance of information and precision allow no rivals.
Only under magnification can one fully comprehend the fineness of his brushwork. The overall composition, however, never grows disordered — beautifully balanced. As works representing the virtuoso craftsmanship of Meiji-period art, they are highly regarded both at home and abroad.
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The texture and depth of color of Japanese cloisonné can only be truly appreciated in person.
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