Naoki Tominaga (富永直樹), Japanese, 1913–2006

A Metal Sculpture: "Thousand-Year Crane" (千年鶴)

Showa Era (1926–1989) or Heisei Era (1989-2019)

About the work

An elegant metal sculpture titled "Thousand-Year Crane" by Naoki Tominaga, an acclaimed Japanese sculptor renowned for his refined and evocative animal figures. Expertly cast, this artwork depicts a crane gracefully at rest, rendered in polished silver-toned metal, with a vibrant red accent highlighting the crane’s distinctive crown. The meticulous attention to form captures both the physical beauty and symbolic essence of longevity associated with cranes in traditional Japanese culture.

It comes with its original wooden tomobako (signed storage box), inscribed with the title of the sculpture.

Dimensions

12.1cm(w) x 5.3cm(d) x 5.4(h)

Footnote

Naoki Tominaga (1913–2006) was a prominent Japanese sculptor and a member of the Japan Art Academy. Born in Nagasaki, he studied under Kitamura Seibo at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and began exhibiting at major national shows in the 1930s. He gained early acclaim at the Nitten exhibitions, receiving multiple Special Prizes and the Asakura Prize.

Tominaga’s major public works include monuments in Nagasaki and Oita. In recognition of his cultural contributions, he was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1984 and awarded the prestigious Order of Culture in 1989.