JIZAI
OKIMONO LOBSTER
Jizai Okimono are realistically shaped figures of animals made from iron,
copper, shibuichi or shakudo. Their bodies and limbs are articulated, and can
be moved like real animals; among these figures we can find models of dragons,
birds, fishes, snakes, lobsters, crabs and insects.
There are only few dated pieces, the
earliest known is a dragon bearing the signature of Myochin Muneaki and dated
1713; from the XVIII century there is also a dated butterfly by Myochin
Muneyasu (1753). The Myochin were armor makers who excelled in iron forging and
hammer work, and are thought to have produced these okimono (ornamental figures)
in the peaceful time of the mid-Edo period. During this time of peace in Japan,
the decrease in demand for armor and weapons allowed metal artisans to express
their creativity in the production of these fascinating objects of nature.
Jizai okimono began to be exported overseas in the Meiji period (1868-1912),
together with those produced at that time, with the studio of Takase Kozan as
their major producers. Kozan used bronze and shibuichi in addition to iron,
working to make their works more realistic by using metals of different colors.
Meiji pieces are generally lighter in weight as result of thinner metal plates
used in their construction.
The term “jizai okimono”
seems to be quite modern: In the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition
the craftsman Itao Shinjiro (Kiyoharu, b. 1842) showed an articulated piece
which was described as kusshin jizai tsubasa no okimono (an okimono with wings
that move in and out freely) and the word jizai is seen again in this context
on the storage box for an articulated dragon purchased by Tokyo National Museum
in 1911. The only known Edo-period box inscription referring to one (a small
dragon) calls it a bunchin (paperweight).
When a period of peace led to a
slow-down in business for makers of samurai armour in 17th-century Japan, some
turned their skills to making articulated sculptures. There is much
speculation surrounding the origins of jizai okimono. The earliest known
artefact is a dragon by Myochin Muneaki, dated 1713, that now resides in the
collection of the Tokyo National Museum.
The Myochins were a distinguished family of samurai
armourers. As military conflict in Japan abated in the early 17th century, and
samurai warriors became courtiers, bureaucrats and administrators, the
armourers were compelled to adapt their skills.
Provenance: a private collector in Alberta.