著者
石川 哲子
出版者
関西大学大学院東アジア文化研究科
雑誌
東アジア文化交渉研究 = Journal of East Asian cultural interaction studies (ISSN:18827748)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.13, pp.137-151, 2020-03-31

After the Meiji Restoration, and the introduction of modeling techniques from Europe, traditional wooden sculpture transformed greatly in Japan. While most sculptors moved to modeling, and the end of the Meiji Period and the introduction of the sculptures of Auguste Rodin, this trend intensified, and wooden sculptors fell into decline. Nevertheless, there were still many sculptors who concentrated on wood sculptures, though not as many as before, with a few exceptions. This paper looks at Nakatani Ganko (1868-1937), an active sculptor, who considered sculpture not as ornaments for display but as a work of fine art from as early as the Meiji to Taisho periods. This was a transition period when ornaments began to be valued as fine art. Nakatani came from the countryside to Tokyo, where he was appreciated, yet today few of his works seem to be extant and there is still little known about his life and activities. He is an artist who has been neglected. This paper focuses on the activities and works of representative artist of the time, Hirakushi Denchu, and his early profound interaction with Nakatani to bring into relief the actual image and characteristics of Nakatani's works as one aspect of the history of early modern sculpture in Japan.