{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1645062"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1645062/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF9697/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF9697/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2022NF9697","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2022NF9698","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2022NF9699","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1645062/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1645062","accessionNumber":"FE.94-2021","objectType":"Vessel","titles":[{"title":"Wood-Grain Hammered Metal Flower Vase","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Sako Ryūhei is known for his refreshingly contemporary metal vessels made with the 400-year-old <i>mokume-gane</i>, ‘wood-grain metal’, technique.\r\n\r\nThe <i>mokume-gane</i> technique was developed in Japan in the 17th century to decorate surfaces of sword fittings. Dozens of differently coloured thin metal sheets are joined together and, through the process of repeated chiselling and hammering, the characteristic wood grain pattern is achieved.  \r\n\r\nSako was born in Tamano City, Okayama prefecture. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Department of Design and Applied Arts, of Hiroshima City University in 1999. He first encountered the art of <i>mokumegane</i> at the age of 20, when work by Norio Tamagawa (b.1942), Living National Treasure for the technique, exhibited at the Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition caught his eye. He was astonished to learn that hard metal could create such fluid patterns. Although his initial motivation in specialising in metalwork was because he thought it would be useful for remodelling motorbikes, <i>mokumegane</i> turned into his life passion. He went on to complete a Doctoral Degree Programme at Hiroshima City University. It took a further 10 years of self-study until he felt he had mastered his art.\r\n\r\nThis tall vessel is Sako’s masterpiece which truly demonstrates his extraordinary skills to create ‘a unique landscape’ by layering colours, engraving and forging. He has used dozens of layers of silver, copper, <i>shakudo</i> and<i> shibuichi</i> in this piece. Due to the extremely time consuming and labour-intensive process of achieving a successful lamination, his large vessels are rare. ","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sako Ryuhei","id":"AUTH328461"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"Copper","id":"AAT11020"},{"text":"Shakudo","id":"x45038"},{"text":"Shibuichi","id":"x45719"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2022NF9697","2022NF9698","2022NF9699"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"116","id":"THES49908"},"free":"","case":"5","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES398891"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Vessel","id":""}],[{"text":"Storage Box","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2019","earliest":"2019-01-01","latest":"2019-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchase funded by Christopher Gorman-Evans","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"28.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tall <i>mokume-gane</i> (wood- grain metal) vessel, by Sako Ryūhei (b.1976), 2019, Japan; with a signed wood storage box, Japan, modern crafts, studio, metal \r\n\r\n佐故 龍平 (1976-)   杢目金打出花器　2019年","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FE.94:1-2021","FE.94:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"94","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-17","recordCreationDate":"2021-07-19","availableToBook":false}}