Okimono
Ornament for display; objet d’art; decorative object – reached its heyday in the Meiji period towards the end of the 19th century when many Okimono were made for export to the West.
Japanese sculptors and craftsmen have always established themselves as excellent carvers and inlayers as testified to by their lacquer, bronze and netsuke works. Some of them have then moved to carve blocks of wood – namely boxwood – ivory and even large-sized pieces of horn.
Publications are hardly found as very well-preserved and high-quality works are extremely rare.
The excellence of the Tokyo School is worthy of mention together with its founder
ISHIKAWA KOMEI and other prominent sculptors such as SHIMAMURA SHUNMEI and YOSHIDA HOMEI.
