Flower Basket (Hanakago)

ca. 1932

Not on view

Japanese bamboo art in eastern Japan, the area surrounding Tokyo, underwent a process of modernization during the first half of the twentieth century. Several masters rose to fame through their participation in newly reorganized systems of domestic and international exhibitions and began producing “art baskets.” Iizuka Rōkansai spearheaded this movement, pioneering new directions for the field and elevating bamboo craft to an art form. Emphasizing artistic freedom and individuality, Rōkansai experimented with the possibilities of the medium and developed several new techniques.

Rōkansai, using a system formulated for describing calligraphy and painting, divided his oeuvre into three styles according to function and technique: shin (formal), gyō (semiformal), and sō (freestyle, or cursive). This tall, thin timber bamboo flower basket made with coarse weave is representative of the artist’s informal and more individualistic style.

Artwork Details

飯塚琅玕斎造花籃
Title: Flower Basket (Hanakago)
Artist: Iizuka Rōkansai (Japanese, 1890–1958)
Period: Shōwa period (1926–89)
Date: ca. 1932
Culture: Japan
Medium: Timber bamboo and rattan
Dimensions: H. 40 11/16 in. (103.4 cm); Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.8 cm)
Classification: Bamboo
Credit Line: Gift of Diane Abbey, 2019
Object Number: 2019.425.9a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Iizuka Rōkansai

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“Son of the Sun” Hexagonal Flower Basket

Iizuka Rōkansai

1940s

Hanging Basket (Shime), Iizuka Rōkansai Japanese, Timber bamboo (madake), Japan — Hanging Basket (Shime)
Iizuka Rōkansai
1945

Wide-Mouthed Flower Basket (Hanakago) with Soaring Handle, Iizuka Rōkansai Japanese, Smoked timber bamboo and rattan, Japan — Wide-Mouthed Flower Basket (Hanakago) with Soaring Handle
Iizuka Rōkansai
ca. 1936–49

Fence Flower Basket (Hanakago) with Handle, Iizuka Rōkansai Japanese, Bamboo (many types), Japan — Fence Flower Basket (Hanakago) with Handle
Iizuka Rōkansai
1953

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