Posted 4 years ago
kwqd
(1189 items)
This small cast iron horse by Japanese artist Sotaro Saegusa is 4" long x 3" high x 1" wide and weighs 13 ounces. A gold like finish with some black, yellow and gold metal glitter has been applied. This is a common treatment for Saegusa's cast iron. This little horse has the artist's mark on one hip.
Due to several bargains too good to pass up, I ran through my December budget in the first few days of December but am still waiting for some of those items to arrive. Due to two refunds from November purchases that I received in early December, one for a damaged item and one for returning an item mis-sent to me for which the seller refunded my total cost for two items I actually purchased from them, I suddenly found myself with a little extra money, just enough to make an offer on this Saegusa horse. I was pleasantly surprised when the seller accepted my offer. Guess this is my Christmas present and especially appropriate as my birth year took place in the Year of the Horse. This just about sates my appetite for horse related Japanese metal ware.
About the artist:
Sotaro Saegusa was born in 1911 in Aji-cho, Kida-gun, Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. He graduated from the Metallic Engineering Department of Kagawa Prefectural Technical School in 1930 and the Sculpting School of Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Saegusa initially specialized in oil painting and large scale public sculpture. He later worked as a professor at the Nagoya University of Arts until retiring in 1986. Saegusa was a member of the Japan Artists' Association, Japan Sculptors' Association and Shin Kozo Exhibition Paintings Division.
Saegusa won a number of prestigious awards during his career. In 1941, his works were selected for the 8th Shin Kozo Exhibition Western Painting Division and the 15th Imperial Exhibition Sculpture Division and he was invited to take part in the exhibition every year he was active. He was presented the Chunichi Award in the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition at Nagoya in 1958, an award in the Nagoya Japanese Art Exhibition in 1987, the Tokyo Governor's Award in the 65th Shin Kozo Exhibition Sculpture Division for his work "Iku" in 1993, and the Minister of Education Encouragement Award, 71st Shin Kozo Exhibition Sculpture Division for Still Life in 1999. His works are included in the collections of a number of arts museums and displayed in public parks and squares in many cities in Japan.
Saegusa continued to work as an artist after his retirement and was still active as an artist into his 90s. After he retired, Saegusa focused on sculptures of animals in bronze and iron and also made incense burners and vases.
Sotaro Saegusa died in 2006.
He is described by some as Takaoka doki artist:
https://kogeijapan.com/locale/en_US/takaokadoki/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okimono
https://tinyurl.com/y6mw6hrm
very cool.... budget to hell ...lol nice score
Thanks for your comment yourneverright! The purpose of the budget is really to help me to keep being able to get my door open wide enough to squeeze into my house! Collecting control....
lol ya just need diet pills ....lolol I know I want to sneak off this spring to the Island of man for the bike races.. cause I never been. smiling ..Nice horse for sure ..
That would be a great trip! I hope you get to do it. Thanks!
Thanks for your comment valentino97! Yes, it is small enough that I actually have a place to display it. Happy Holidays to you too!
Great Holiday find for you !~
Very cool piece!
Thanks PhilDMorris! Happy Holidays!
Thank you dav2no1! I think so too!
Thanks for loving my Japanese horse jscott0363, yourneverright, Vynil33rpm, valentino97, Kevin, AnythingObscure, dav2no1 and PhilDMorris!
Splendid cast iron horse Kevin, I really love the angular design, very nice find
Thanks Jenni! It is different from Saegusa's typical work though I have seen a couple of similar pieces.
Thanks Watchsearcher and dlpetersen!
Thanks for taking a look at my latest metal animal fortapache!
The angular design reminds me of two things- origami and art-deco (or even a mixture of the two) which is really cool! ;D
A different model to my Saegusa horses but still with his style.
Lauren is right about the origami/Art Deco style, that’s what I get too.
Nice to stretch your budget so well!
Thanks for your comment LaurenRedmond! Saeguso did some pieces which are easily recognized as directly derived from origami and others that show the influence of Cubism. Art Deco could well be another influence on his work. I have not seen any analysis of his style.
Thanks Karen! Yes, this one is very different from your horses. I like your horses more. The refunds were fortunate as this piece popped up and the seller was motivated to sell it. Not sure it would have still been available in January.
Thanks for loving my Saegusa horse Hoot60 and LaurenRedmond!
Thanks for your comments, Eileen! I had a Manx cat, once. My wife and I were walking home from an all night party just after dawn, and a tiny little tailless kitten wobbled out from between two houses, fleas, ear mites, malnourished, etc., so we took him home. Neither of us had ever seen a tailless cat before. We weren't allowed to have pets in our apartment but I was very near being discharged from the Army so we hid him in our shower when the landlord was around. He turned into a huge, handsome boy who we named Keetah (Kitar), Thai for "guitar". He passed many years ago, but never forgotten, always remembered.
Thanks blunderbuss2 and ho2cultcha!
Thanks for loving my Saegusa horse aura!
Thanks for loving my Japanese horse SEAN68!
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Eileen. We found Keetah in Seaside, CA, so maybe he was a relative of Sneakers. He was a huge, medium length fur, grey tabby with brown tufts on his ears and paws. I did not know about polydactyl back then so no idea if he had extra toes.... He was a "stumpy" with a small stub of a tail you had to pet him to feel. My parents were devastated when he died. I was away at the time.
OMG you have no idea how long I have looked for information on this artist I actually have a Rat,Rooster, Panther, Rat, Hedgehog and a Dog I acquired the pieces with a few other items from an auction and I just love them. Your Horse is Amazing
Thank you so very much for all the information if you want I can post some pictures
Thanks for your comment and for loving my Sotaro Saegusa horse, debbieayr! I also posted a couple of Akita dogs by this artist. I would love to see your Saegusa animals if you feel like posting them. I am glad that you found this post helpful.
Thanks ho2cultcha!
Thanks rancherswife!
Thanks Leelani!