Cloisonne Studio of Namikawa Yasuyuki

Artist

Underwood And Underwood Publishers (American, established 1882, dissolved circa 1940 )

Date

1904

Medium

Stereoview photograph

Dimensions

Work : 3 1/2 x 7 x 1/4 in. (8.89 cm x 17.78 cm x 6 mm)

Credit Line

Hope College Collection

Object Number

2016.59

Label

These stereoview photographs offer a rare glimpse into the workshop of a well-known Meiji artist. Namikawa Yasuyuki was among the most famous cloisonné artists of the Meiji period. Active in the city of Kyoto, Namikawa developed a national and international reputation for his intricate wirework and lyrical designs. These photographs show Namikawa overseeing some of the dozen or so artisans who worked in his studio executing his designs. Like many Meiji artworks, all of Namikawa’s cloisonné was made by hand in small batches. By working diligently year round, Namikawa’s studio produced large quantities of cloisonné that was marketed at national and international exhibitions and sold through department stores and specialty galleries in Japan, Europe and the United States.