Kurose Soko(黒瀬宗康), Japanese, b. 1927

A Shidō Bronze Crane Neck Flower Vase (紫銅鶴首花入)

Showa Era (1926 - 1989)

About the work

An elegant cast bronze flower vase by Kurose Soko, fashioned in the traditional crane neck form. The vessel features a broad, gently faceted body rising into an exceptionally long and slender neck, terminating in a subtly flared mouth. The poised proportions give the work a graceful vertical presence characteristic of Japanese flower vessels intended for restrained floral arrangements.

The surface is finished in a rich shidō (紫銅) patina, displaying deep reddish brown and burgundy tones with a subtle lustre. Rather than relying on elaborate surface decoration, the artist emphasises the purity of the silhouette and the depth of the patinated metal. The raised foot is embellished with a restrained repeating circular motif, providing a decorative counterpoint to the otherwise austere design.

Both functional and sculptural, the vase demonstrates the refined metalworking tradition of Takaoka, one of Japan's most important centres of cast metal production. Its elongated neck is particularly suited to the arrangement of a single flower or branch, while the understated form and rich patina allow it to stand equally well as an independent decorative object.

The base bears the artist's mark and is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako).

Dimensions

26cm(h) x 9cm(w)

Footnote

Kurose Soko(黒瀬宗康), born in 1927, is a Japanese metal artist based in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, a historic centre of Japanese cast metalwork. He studied under the distinguished metal artist Ichinose Sōshin (一ノ瀬宗辰) for sixteen years, developing his expertise in traditional metalworking and the production of tea ceremony utensils. In 1973, he established himself independently and assumed the artist name Kurose SokoI. He held a solo exhibition at the Tankō Center in Tokyo in 1991 and exhibited tea ceremony utensils at Shinjuku Mitsukoshi in 1992.