Item number: 60210
An exceptional and fine gold, silver and iron “Mujinagiku” vase in Nanako Zogan,
Kanazawa 2018 by Satoshi Hara
Compressed spherical shape with a slight horizontal ridge to the centre. The top opening finished by a silver rim. The body is decorated with finely crafted chrysanthemum motif in fine silver and 24-carat gold, which covers the entire surface.
20 cm / 7.87″ diameter, 18 cm / 7.08″ tall
An exceptionally vase, brilliantly crafted using the highly complex Nanako Zogan technique.
In Japanese art, the chrysanthemum symbolises, among other things, long life and happiness, as well as the Japanese imperial family, which is why the seat of the Japanese emperor is called the Chrysanthemum Throne. For this reason, the chrysanthemum can also be found on several official seals and on Japanese passports.
The Japanese artist silversmith Satoshi Hara
Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 1962, the artist specialises in producing wrought ironwork in which he inserts gold and silver decorations into the walls of vessels using an extremely difficult and labour-intensive technique. This highly developed inlay technique makes the decorations look as if they have been drawn with a thin pen. Hara created his own technique, which he called ‘Nanako Zogan’. While “Zogan” refers to a metal inlay technique, ‘Nanako’ stands for a traditional technique that originated in the Nara period (710-794) and whose dotted appearance is reminiscent of fish roe.
Using this technique, the artist is able to inlay patterns into the vessels using silver wires with a thickness of 0.3 mm, with each individual line requiring five different steps. On average, a piece consists of 50 m of silver wire, meaning that the artist has to work with around 250 m of silver wire throughout the various stages of the process. In this highly complex and tedious work, the artist cannot afford to make a mistake at any point, as it is impossible to correct it. Satoshi Hara has held the professorship for metalworking at Kanazawa College of Art, Department of Craft, since 2003. His work can be found in numerous museums in Japan and abroad.
