Rokkaku Shisui (六角紫水)
Shisui ROKKAKU (April 24, 1867 - April 15, 1950) was a Japanese lacquer artist. He is one of the pioneers of Japanese lacquer art. His original family name was FUJIOKA and his child name was Chutaro (仲太郎). He changed the Chinese characters used for his name Chutaro to "注多良" later. He was born in Nomi Town and Ogaki Town (now Edajima City), Hiroshima Prefecture.
Brief Personal History
ROKKAKU graduated from the department of elementary education of Hiroshima normal school (now faculty of education of Hiroshima University) and worked as a teacher at an elementary school run by his old school. Then, he moved to Tokyo and entered the department of Japanese lacquer art of the Tokyo fine arts school (now Tokyo university of the arts) as a member of the first class of the department. ROKKAKU started to teach as an assistant professor of the lacquer department of the school after his graduation in 1893. He studied Japanese antiques together with Tenshin OKAKURA. When OKAKURA quit the Tokyo fine arts school in 1898, ROKKAKU quit the school as well and cooperated with OKAKURA in founding the Japan art institute. ROKKAKU moved to the United States of America together with OKAKURA and Taikan YOKOYAMA. They worked in the Orient department of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to classify Oriental fine arts stored at these museums. Then, they visited countries in North America and Europe to study Japanese fine arts stored in those counties, and returned to Japan in 1908. ROKKAKU studied a variety of classical techniques associated with the Shosoin Treasures, Rakuro lacquer ware, etc. and actually applied those techniques to his own works while teaching at his old school. He was promoted to professor in 1924. He was awarded a prize in the Paris Universal Exposition in 1925. When an art craft division was newly established in the Exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, ROKKAKU exhibited his works as a member of the selecting committee and Mukansa (a person who need not be submitted to the selecting committee). His work 'Gyotenkogonozu-shikki' exhibited at the 11th Exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts was awarded the Teikokubijutsuin prize in 1930.
He has left great achievements, such as renovation of the Chusonji-konjikido temple and the Itsukushima-jinja shrine, research work on cultural properties of old temples and shrines, invention of white Japanese lacquer, etc. as one of the pioneers of the Japanese lacquer art.
Other
It is said that the picture of kirin (a creature from Chinese mythology) printed on labels of Kirin beer was designed by ROKKAKU.