Esoteric Survey

Japanese Modern at T&Y Gallery The exhibition includes pieces by Junzo Sakakura, Isamu Kenmochi, Isamu Noguchi, Riki Watanabe and Sori Yanagi. There is also a mobile tatami platform by architect Kiyoshi Seike. This is a collaboration with Gallery Sign Tokyo. Junzo Sakakura Bench by Riki Watanabe Isamu Kenmochi Isamu Kenmochi Daybed by Makoto Masuzawa Mobile tatami platform by architect Kiyoshi Seike "My House" by Kiyoshi Seike, 1954  The architect designed his small 1 0m x 5m house   for himself and his family in his parent’s back garden.   The tatami mat was used indoor and out for multiple functions. The house today.  Source: Gallery Sign Tokyo Seike is considered one of Japan's most important post-war architects. This is the dream. I used to have the same model Lambretta, LD Mark II. Source:  Gallery Sign Tokyo There was a model of the house on display. Sori Yanagi tray The exhibition closes December 23. T & Y Gallery is just a few months old and is l...

  Here is my haul from Downtown Modernism. As always, it was a great show! Riki Watanabe David Stewart William Chappelow The hanging file basket has always been my favorite part of the George Nelson Home Office desk. I was happy to be able to get one without having to buy the actual desk. I'm not sure what to do with it but I've wanted one ever since seeing the mailbox at the Eames-designed De Pree house. More about the De Pree house here .

Eames Splint (1942) More stuff Jens Risom Riki Watanabe and a California Walnut wastepaper basket

Riki Watanabe (1911 – 2013) After graduating from Tokyo Higher School of Art and Design in wood crafts,  Watanabe worked with Bruno Taut, a German architect who had fled to Japan to escape the Nazis. Although he was well versed in the modernist ideals of the Bauhaus, Watanabe wanted to translate them into the Japanese culture.  In 1949 he started his own design studio.  Watanabe was involved in the formation of many of Japan's important design organizations, including the Japan Industrial Designers Association (1952) and the International Design Committee (1953). Masaru Katsumie, Isamu Kenmochi, Yusaku Kamekura, and Sori Yanagi were fellow founding members of the  International Design Committee, which  became the Good Design Committee (1959) and later the Japan Design Committee (1963).  Rope chair, 1952 -  "A low-cost item of furniture that struck a balance between Japanese traditions (low-level seating and natural ...

Meguro Dori in  Meguro-ku  is the street where most of the vintage shops in Tokyo are, including Case Study . Amongst a large collection of good stuff piled in there was this Heifetz lamp by Zahara Schatz.    There were also some good Nelson clocks and Eames pieces. Tetsumasa Suda is the owner of Case Study.  I tried hard to find some vintage mid-century Japanese designs. The thing that I kept hearing was that it's impossible to find. It turned out to be true for me.  He's friends with Riki Watanabe so if he doesn't have any vintage examples, prospects were looking bleak.  He did have a newer production Watanabe iron and wood stool signed by Riki  himself. He showed me the Ray Eames business card from his private stash. I think he said Sori Yanagi gave it to him. Meister is just down the street from Case Study. The upstairs has a nice mix of things for sale and a personal collection tha...