Bronze vase with dragons, inlaid with silver and gold, height 21 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.
The Nogawa Shoten company (能川商店, “Shoten” means “shop”) was founded in 1825 in Kyoto. Nogawa acted as both a manufacturer and a seller of artistic metalwork. In the late 19th century, the workshop was managed by Nogawa Noboru. Although surprisingly little documentation exists about the company, it was probably well known in its time. In addition to the workshop, the company had exhibition halls in Kyoto and in the most exclusive hotels in the city.
Vase with cherry blossom design made of shakudo alloy, inlaid with silver and gold, height 8.5 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.
The company exhibited at all the major foreign exhibitions of its time: the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), the World’s Fairs in Paris (1900), St. Louis (1904), San Francisco (1915), again in Paris (1925), and again in Chicago (1933).
Bronze vase with maple branches against a background of moon and clouds, inlaid with silver, copper and shibuichi, height 6.6 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.
In its advertisements, Nogawa Shoten positioned itself as a manufacturer of bronze and artistic wares, including gongs, bells, vases, lanterns, garden ornaments, birds, animals, human figures, Buddha figures, and small objects. The Nogawa shop also sold enamel and damascened wares, ivory carvings, lacquerware, pearls, prints, and Satsuma pottery.
Pair of bronze vases with long tailed roosters, inlaid with copper, silver, gold and shibuichi, height 12 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze vase with lid, inlaid with silver, gold and shibuichi, height 15.6 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze incense burner (koro) with red patina, inlaid with silver, gold and shakudo, height 15 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Copper box with gold plating, inlaid with gold, silver and shakudo, 10.2 x 9.2 x 5.1 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze tripod with fighting cocks, inlaid with silver, gold, shibuichi and shakudo, height 30 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze vase depicting plum blossom in moonlight, height 30.5 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze vase depicting geese in flight, height 25.4 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Four sided bronze vase with lid, inlaid with silver and gold, height 15 cm, Nogawa Shoten, circa 1890Pair of pumpkin shaped bronze vases with chrysanthemums and birds, height 15 cm, Nogawa Shoten, circa 1900Bronze vase with bamboo design, inlaid with silver, height 26 cm, Nogawa Shoten, circa 1900.Vase with cherry blossom and wisteria design in shakudo alloy, inlaid with copper, silver and gold, height 11.5 cm, Nogawa Shoten, late 19th century.Bronze flowerpot inlaid with silver, gold and shakudo, height 35 cm, master Yukiaki Saku, late 19th century.Incense burner (koro) made of shakudo alloy with relief processing and inlay of silver, gold and shibuichi, height 11.5 cm, master Toshishige, 19th century.Bronze vase with a spider descending from a plum blossom branch, inlaid with copper, silver, gold and shakudo, height 36 cm, by Otsuei, 1900.Kodansu a miniature cabinet made of shakudo alloy with two doors, inlaid with silver, gold and copper, 13.5 x 10.5 x 7.5 cm, 19th century.The interior of the kodansu is filled with boxes of different sizes, decorated with gilding and inlays with images of birds, flowers and landscapes.The back wall of the kodansu with an image of wisteria.The top of the kodansu with a carrying handle is decorated with images of butterflies.Kodansu with caramel bronze body, inlaid with silver, gold, copper and shakudo, 19.5 x 12 x 16 cm, 19th century.The back and side walls are decorated with images of plants and birds.The interior of a kodansu with pull out wooden drawers and a door engraved with a pine tree in a landscape.Kodansu with hinged doors, inlaid with gold and silver using the gold inlaid technique, 10.8 x 10 x 7.6 cm, late 19th century.The kodansu is decorated along its entire perimeter with alternating scenes depicting the environs of Kyoto and plant motifs (rear wall).The interior of the kodansu with five drawers is decorated in the same style.In Nogawa’s workshop in Kyoto, photo 1885.Workers at Nogawa’s workshop pour molten bronze into moulds, photo 1885.
