The Sheep - Bronze 1920-40 - Yuhachi Ikeda - 1886-1963 Japan #707

- Bronze with brown patina, signed circa 1920-40 - 1.2 kg. Yuhachi IKEDA is a Japanese sculptor born in 1886 in Kagawa Prefecture. He first studied at the School of Crafts in Kotohira and then joined the sculpture class of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts as a student of Asakura FUMIO. He regularly participated in official exhibitions where his talent was recognized. He won first prize at the Bunten exhibition of 1909. He devoted his entire career to animal art, particularly horses. This earned him the nickname “Yuhachi the Horse”. He created statues of the imperial horses of the Meiji, Taisho and Showa emperors as well as the imperial family. From 1919 onwards, he made several trips to Korea and China to study Buddhist statues. The Japanese government commissioned him to create models of animals that had distinguished themselves in military conflicts, as part of a major campaign to reward war animals starting in 1933. He participated in the art competitions at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games (equestrian subjects). A large number of his models were damaged or destroyed at the end of World War II. From then on, he focused on wooden sculpture. He held more than 20 solo exhibitions during his lifetime. After his death, a retrospective exhibition "60 Years of Animal Sculpture Exhibitions" was held. A certificate and an illustrated biography will be given to the buyer.