This metal craft artwork, "Crane (Bottle Opener)," is by the renowned metal artist Ichiro Kitamura (1917–1968), father of master metalsmith (Tankin-ka) Shinichi Kitamura, a Living National Treasure, and known as the mentor who taught him his advanced metalworking techniques. Based at the Kitamura Studio in Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Ichiro Kitamura pursued practical and beautiful metalwork that harmonized with the modern living spaces of post-war Japan, while building upon traditional Japanese metal molding techniques. His outstanding aesthetic sense, which sublimated traditional metalworking techniques into beautifully functional products for daily life, was inherited by his son, Shinichi Kitamura, who later became a Living National Treasure, leaving an extremely important mark on the history of modern Japanese metalwork.
This piece is a very elegant tabletop sculpture capturing a crane, an auspicious symbol, resting its wings and standing quietly. The form, from its flexible neck curving gently towards the sky to its beautifully rounded body, possesses a softness and grace as if alive, despite being made of metal, a heavy and hard material. The surface features a finely hand-worked texture that softly diffuses light, suppressing the coldness characteristic of metal and wonderfully expressing the crane's delicate texture and serene presence. The greatest highlight of the piece is that when placed on a table or small shelf, it enriches the space as a complete modern animal sculpture or paperweight, and only when the bottom is flipped over does the heavy metal bottle opener structure appear. By concealing the function of a tool within the sculpture, it vividly demonstrates Ichiro Kitamura's sophisticated design, which elevates an everyday tool into a work of art, and his high level of casting and processing techniques. Inside the opening mechanism on the bottom, an inscription confirming it as a genuine work from the Kitamura Studio can be clearly seen.
The accompanying dedicated wooden box (Tomobako) has the work's title, "Crane" and "Bottle Opener," written in ink on the lid, along with the artist's own signature, "Made by Ichiro Kitamura," in the lower left, clearly certifying it as a genuine work from the Kitamura Studio in the mid-Showa period. Overseas, materials related to modern Japanese metalwork and Ichiro Kitamura are very scarce, and it is rare for a complete piece with such a Tomobako to circulate in the market. This is a rare metal craft that perfectly blends artistic value and functional beauty, bringing prestige to a space as a sophisticated tabletop art piece and serving as a practical tool during special moments of enjoying drinks.
- Artist: Ichiro Kitamura (1917–1968)
- Artist's Representative Activity: [1967] Awarded the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education Award at the 14th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
- Period of Production: 1960s (estimated)
- Condition: Very good (no chips, no cracks, age-related deterioration on the box)
- Accessories: Dedicated wooden box (Tomobako) and explanatory leaflet (Shiori) included
- Material: Copper (estimated)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 7.5 cm, Width approx. 10.0 cm
- Caution: All products offered by our shop, even if unused, are historical items from a very old production period and are listed as used. Products may have damage due to age, so please consider purchasing after understanding and checking their condition.
