Product Description

6992 A bronze okimono (decorative object) in the form of a toad holding two young

Japan 19th/20th century Meiji Period

Dimensions: H. 5″ x W. 3¾” x D. 4½” (12.5cm x 9.5cm x 11cm)

Attributed to Ichikawa Tōgyokusai (dates unknown). Given name: Ichikawa Chōjiro. Tōgyokusai was from Higashi-Matsuyama City, Saitama prefecture where he initially ran the metalwork shop known as Jyūmonji-ya. Continuing the long Ichikawa family tradition in metal crafting using the lost-wax method since the Edo period, the art name Tōgyokusai was not being used before the fourth generation of Ichikawa metal craftsmen and continued until Tōgyokusai II.

The studio was famous for its commission works for wealthy clients and also supplied pieces to various department stores in Tokyo. The renowned metal craftsman Suzuki Chokichi Kakō (1848-1919) also studied under the Ichikawa family before starting his famous career.