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Takamura Kôun was a prominent sculptor of the [[Meiji period|Meiji]] and Taishô periods, and father of sculptor & poet [[Takamura Kotaro|Takamura Kôtarô]]. He has been described as the "father of modern Japanese wood sculpture."

Takamura Kôun was a prominent sculptor of the [[Meiji period|Meiji]] and Taishô periods, and father of sculptor & poet [[Takamura Kotaro|Takamura Kôtarô]]. He has been described as the "father of modern Japanese wood sculpture."

Kôun was born in the Shitaya neighborhood of [[Edo]]; his name was originally Nakajima Mitsuzô. He began studying under Takamura Tôun - the last great Buddhist sculptor of the [[Edo period]] style - in [[1863]], and was officially adopted by Tôun's older sister, taking the Takamura name. He continued sculpting in wood through the [[Meiji Restoration]], and began working for the ''[[Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko|Tokyo Bijutsu Gakkô]]'' (Tokyo School of Fine Arts) when it opened in [[1889]]. Kôun became an instructor at the school the following year. He was later named an Imperial Artist (''teishitsu gigeiin''), and was given honorary [[court rank]] of Upper Fourth Rank.<ref>Plaques, Hifushi Mikoshi built by Kôun, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of History.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/16375086871/in/dateposted-public/]</ref>

Kôun was born in the Shitaya neighborhood of [[Edo]]; his name was originally Nakajima Mitsuzô. He began studying under Takamura Tôun - the last great Buddhist sculptor of the [[Edo period]] style - in [[1863]], and was officially adopted by Tôun's older sister, taking the Takamura name. He continued sculpting in wood through the [[Meiji Restoration]], and began working for the ''[[Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko|Tokyo Bijutsu Gakkô]]'' (Tokyo School of Fine Arts) when it opened in [[1889]]. Kôun became an instructor at the school the following year. He was later named one of the [[Imperial Household Artists]] (''teishitsu gigeiin''), and was given honorary [[court rank]] of Upper Fourth Rank.<ref>Plaques, Hifushi Mikoshi built by Kôun, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of History.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/16375086871/in/dateposted-public/]</ref>

Though initially trained in more traditional modes of wood sculpture, he began, particularly in the 1890s-1900s, to incorporate Western approaches and aesthetics of realism into his wooden sculptures. He also ventured into sculpting in bronze. While there had been a tradition of bronze sculpture in Japan going back over 1000 years, producing sculptures in the Western style and mode was rather cutting-edge in Japan at the time. Over the course of the next several decades, Kôun's works were shown at numerous [[World's Fairs|international]] and [[domestic expositions]], where he frequently earned high awards. From [[1907]] onwards, he regularly served as a judge in the official government-sponsored exhibitions.

Though initially trained in more traditional modes of wood sculpture, he began, particularly in the 1890s-1900s, to incorporate Western approaches and aesthetics of realism into his wooden sculptures. He also ventured into sculpting in bronze. While there had been a tradition of bronze sculpture in Japan going back over 1000 years, producing sculptures in the Western style and mode was rather cutting-edge in Japan at the time. Over the course of the next several decades, Kôun's works were shown at numerous [[World's Fairs|international]] and [[domestic expositions]], where he frequently earned high awards. From [[1907]] onwards, he regularly served as a judge in the official government-sponsored exhibitions.