Antique Japanese Art
Welcome to our website for Japanese art. We would like to invite you to discover our collection of fine antique works of art, ranging from screen paintings and hanging scroll to traditional ceramics, elegant lacquer works, exceptional sculptures and intricately woven bamboo flower baskets. All of our objects are unique masterpieces carefully selected by the gallerist and art historian Dr. Fabian Alexander Kommoss for their historical significance and outstanding quality. Galerie Kommoss is a leading gallery for fine Japanese art in Europe.
Why Japanese Art?
Refined elegance and astonishing craftsmanship on one side, and rough, coarse-looking ceramics that seem to have been created by nature itself on the other, the wide spectrum of Japanese art is fascinating and never monotonous. In fact, the opposite is true: Whether you look at the more popular and immediately appealing images of a Hokusai, the serene beauty of Japanese Buddhist sculpture, or the often complex aesthetic programs of traditional tea culture, the deeper you delve into the complex images, often subtly imbued with metaphorical meaning or humor, the more exciting it gets. What makes Japanese art so attractive to us is its pervasive characteristic of understanding the natural world as a source of spiritual insight and an instructive mirror of human emotion.
Special Exhibition "Mizusashi"
A Mizusashi is a traditional, lidded vessel created to contain the fresh, cold water used in the Japanese tea ceremony. A Mizusashi therefore plays a central role by holding one of the two main ingredients used in the preparation of tea. Bringing together a select range of unique Japanese water vessels from the early 17th century to contemporary traditional pieces by some of the greatest pottery masters, Galerie Kommoss' next special exhibition explores the fascinating world of fresh water vessels and their deep connection to the tea ceremony as a source of inspiration and cultural heritage in Japan.
Object of the Month
A tall free-style bamboo flower basket by Shōno Tokuzō. Tokuzō comes from a lineage in which his father, Shōunsai Shōno (1904-1974), was the first bamboo artist ever to earn the prestigious title of Living National Treasure for his mastery of bamboo art. Following his academic journey in sculptural studies at Musashino Art University, graduating in 1964, Tokuzō apprenticed under his father, Shōunsai, absorbing the rich aesthetic and technical skills for which his father was renowned.
Tokuzō's unique approach involves the meticulous selection of bamboo from his personal grove. The process involves cutting, drying, and thoroughly removing the oil and sugar content by heating, a two-year preparation phase to make the bamboo suitable for artistic creation. This method not only highlights the inherent beauty and pliability of bamboo, but also incorporates its natural response to environmental changes such as wind direction, which in turn influences the artist's use of each bamboo piece. The irregularly spotted bamboo used for this particular piece from the late 1970s is called zumen kakuchiku.
