SHIRAYAMA KITARO (白山喜太郎)
SHIRAYAMADANI KITARO (白山谷喜太郎)
SHIRAYAMA DANI (白山谷) (1865-1948)
Active Rookwood Pottery Artist (1887-1948?, retired)
Circa 1896 photograph picture of Kitaro
Shirayamadani. From Frank Leslie's popular
monthly, 1896.
KITARO SHIRAYAMADANI The
Great One Who Designs
Rookwood
Pottery Artist
In 1991, a copper overlay sea green
vase made by Shirayamadani in 1900 sold at
auction for $198,000.
In 2004,
a black iris glazed vase hand painted with
tsuru cranes and swirling clouds and
embellished with lotus blossom overlays in
electroplated copper and silver made by
Shirayamadani in 1900 sold at auction for a
record setting $350,750.
Kitaro
Shirayama known by his artist name
Shirayamadani was employed by Rookwood
Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became
a leading designer and decorator. One
unique quality about his works of art is the
embellishment of metal overlay and when
combined with his articulate skill of hand
painting with enamels - the overall
appearance was simply spectacular - so much
so that his artistic pieces have fetched
record breaking prices at auction.
He
signed his pieces Taro Shirayama (太郎白山) in
sousho script, a form of seal script
calligraphy.
Between 1886 and 1887,
after he arrived in Boston and prior to
working for Rookwood, Kitaro Shirayama was
the artist of 72 paintings depicting
detailed realistic everyday life of a
Japanese warrior in the book, A Muramasa Blade, written
by Louis Wertheimber.
He is noted by the name Shirayama Dani in the
book and the author wrote:
The five
engravings on copper have been executed by a
young Japanese, Mr. Nakamura Munehiro, of
Tokio, one of the best engravers in Japan,
who also made the original drawings for the
same. The other pictures were drawn by
Shirayama Dani, a young porcelain painter in
the employ of Fujiyama, of this city.
It shows the versatility of Japanese artists,
that although the young man had never in his
life done anything but porcelain painting,
which is done in pure wash, he succeeded
without instruction, in a very few days, in
making pictures for reproduction. In
spite of their sharp outline they are done
not with pen and ink, but with a Japanese
brush.
Five examples of
Shirayama Dani paintings from the book, A
Muramasa Blade
Taro Shirayama (太郎白山)
- Analysis of Signature
The artist Kitaro
Shirayama signed his pieces in sousho calligraphy,
Taro Shirayama (太郎白山).
The character 郎 was split and written as two separate
characters. This variation and variations seen
in other characters is an artistic rendition of
writing in calligraphy.
Rookwood Pottery Window Display
Biography and other info about Shirayama (白山)
Shirayama
Kitaro was born on August 15, 1865. (Death
Cert.) He lived and worked in Boston,
Massachusetts for several months. Later
moved to and lived in Hamilton,
Cincinnati, Ohio, after being hired by
Rookwood Pottery. (U.S. Census and Death
Cert.) He was a widower. (Death Cert.) He was
a retired designer of Rookwood Pottery.
(Death Cert.) He died on July 19, 1948 at the
age of 82. (Death Cert.) He is buried at
Spring Grove in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Death
Cert.)
According to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Japan, his correct given name is
Kitaro (喜太郎) rather than Kataro, and was
issued an overseas passport in July 1885.
His surname Shirayamadani (白山谷) is an
artist name and his correct surname is
Shirayama (白山).
Kataro may also be an artist name - which
means "son who designs."
The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Japan also states Kitaro
was from Ishikawa, Japan. Ishikawa-ken
famous for lacquerware and ceramic ware.
Ishikawa is famous for their Ku-tani (九谷)
ware.
The 谷 tani (westernized
as dani) may refer
to Kutani in Ishikawa.
When tani or
ya (谷) is used in a name, it means House of
and therefore House of Shirayama,
Shirayama-tani.
There is no Japanese
surname Shirayamatani or Shirayamadani.
There is a Shirayama family in Ishikawa
famous for their decorated lacquer ware.
Kitaro means happy son.
Ta (太)
means Great One.
Taro means first born
son.
Kata means form, pattern, or
mould; to design a form, pattern, or mould.
Kataro means son who designs a form, pattern,
or mould.
白山 Hakusan (or
Shirayama) means white
mountain located in Ishikawa. It is an
active volcano and when the mountain rumbles,
it is the sleeping dragon under the mountain
stirring in its sleep.
Hakusan - name
of a region called Hakusan-roku - a place comprising seven
(roku) villages and is now called Hakusan.
Shirayama and Hakusan share the same
kanji
characters.
Shirayama may be the first
Japanese national to live in Cincinnati,
Ohio.
In 1886, he emigrated to the
U.S. with a Japanese troupe of artisans.
In September 1886, the Hakusan Valley
Industrial Exposition was held in Cincinnati
at the Japanese Village where Shirayama
and other Japanese
artists and craftsmen performed their skills
for tourist and locals. The Japanese Village
was organized by Deakin Brothers & Co. in Yokohama.
Later, Shirayama worked at the Fujiyama
shop in Boston, Massachusetts as a porcelain
decorator painter.
In 1887, Shirayama was hired as
a decorator at Rookwood Pottery.
At
some point during his life living abroad in
America, Shirayama became a U.S. naturalized
citizen and obtained a social security
number.
1885 Advertisement
for Deakin Brothers & Company DAI NIPPON
HAKURANKAI Living Panorama and Temple of
the Arts and Industries of Japan Performed
in San Francisco, California Commencing
Monday August 31, 1885 until further notice
1901
Advertisement for Rookwood Pottery winning
the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris Expo
1903 Advertisement for Rookwood
Pottery
The Rookwood
Pottery was founded in 1880 by Mrs. Storer,
who had in view the creation of some artistic
pottery which should have an individuality
all its own - W. Percival Jervis, 1897.
Rookwood Pottery
Trade Marks for Rookwood Pottery
Rookwood Pottery, 1881, Cyn, O.
Incised or painted, usually with a date.
The most common mark prior to 1882.
A variation of the previous mark.
R.P.C.O.M.L.N. Stands for "Rookwood
Pottery, Cincinnati, Ohio. Maria Longworth
Nichols."
Anchor. In relief or stamped.
Sometimes in connection with a date. Used
in 1882.
ROOKWOOD POTTERY, CIN., O. Raised
ribbon shape with impressed letters.
Rarely used. Special mark used only on a
trade piece (large beer tankard with raised
figures) made expressly for the Cincinnati
Cooperage Company in 1882.
Brick Pottery Kiln flanked by rooksr on
branches. Kiln mark, stamped in
color on the biscuit or impressed in the
clay. It also appears in connection
with dates. Used from 1880-1882. Trade
mark designed by Mr. H.F. Farny and printed
on the ware in black beneath the glaze.
Small Kiln. Impressed in the clay.
It also appears in connection with dates. Used in 1883 only.
ROOKWOOD POTTERY CIN. Impressed in
the clay. Used in 1883 only.
ROOKWOOD POTTERY 207 EASTERN
AVE 1882 CINCINNATI O. Impressed.
The regular mark from 1882, the date changed
each year until 1886.
MLS 1897.
Scratched into the clay. Maria Longworth
Storer, the founder, has continued her
experiments since the factory passed into the
hands of the Rookwood Pottery Co., and on
many of her pieces will be found her
initials, frequently accompanied by a date.
Rookwood 1882. Impressed. Used
from 1882 to 1886, the date being changed
each year.
RP. Impressed. Adopted in June
1886.
RP. Impressed. The flame at top indicates the year
1887.
RP. Impressed. A flame for each
subsequent year since 1886 with a total 14
flames = 1900.
RP. In 1901, the same mark with 14 flames
was used with the addition of a Roman numeral
below, to indicate subsequent years.
CLAY MARKS
C
Creme-colored clay.
R
Red
clay.
W
White clay.
S
Sage-green clay.
Y
Yellow clay.
G
Ginger-colored
clay.
O
Olive clay.
SIZE
MARKS
A
B
C
D
E
F
The sizes of vases are marked by the
letters A to F, inclusive. in connection with
these various numbers, which indicate the
shapes and designs. These are entered
on the records of the factory.
Signatures for Shirayama
TARO SHIRAYAMA (太郎白山)
References
Japanese
resources.
A Book of Pottery Marks, W. Percival Jervis,
1897.
Marks of American Potters, Edwin Atlee Barber, 1904.
U.S. Census
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
A Muramasa Blade, Louis Wertheimber, 1887.
Rookwood
Pottery pictures are from trade magazines and periodicals dating
from the late 19thc and early 20thc.
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