Reference · LACMA Kawade Shibatarō, Vase with design of peacock feathers, LACMA. CC0. Source ↗
Biography
Short entry. Open, citable sources for this maker are limited, so we have published only what we can source. It will be extended as research continues.
Kawade Shibatarō (1856–1921) ran his own workshop in the 1880s and also worked for the Ando Cloisonné Company in Nagoya. In 1902 he succeeded Kaji Satarō as head of the company. With Hattori Tadasaburō he developed moriage, layered enamel built up in relief. He also introduced nagare-gusuri, a running glaze, and in 1902 he became the first Japanese enameller to use uchidashi (repoussé).1
After Ando bought a French plique-à-jour enamel at Paris in 1900, Kawade analysed it and developed shōtai shippō. In this method the enamel is fired within wire cells on a copper body, and the copper is then removed with acid while the enamel is protected by lacquer. He exhibited at Chicago in 1893, at the fifth National Industrial Exhibition in 1903, at St Louis in 1904, at Liège in 1905 and at London in 1910, and he won a gold medal at San Francisco in 1915.1
In 1906 he made a pair of Imperial presentation vases that the Emperor gave to the American cartoonist Henry Mayer. In 1911 the art historian Jirō Harada called him “the greatest enamel expert in the manufacture of shippo at the present time”. He does not appear on the list of Imperial Household Artists.12
Chronology 年譜
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1856 | Born. | 1 |
| 1880s | Runs his own workshop and works for Ando. | 1 |
| 1893 | Exhibits at Chicago. | 1 |
| 1900 | Ando buys a plique-à-jour enamel at Paris; Kawade analyses it. | 1 |
| 1902 | Becomes head of the company; first Japanese use of uchidashi. | 1 |
| 1903 | Fifth National Industrial Exhibition. | 1 |
| 1904 | Exhibits at St Louis. | 1 |
| 1905 | Exhibits at Liège. | 1 |
| 1906 | Presentation vases for Henry Mayer. | 1 |
| 1910 | Japan–British Exhibition. | 1 |
| 1915 | Gold medal, San Francisco. | 1 |
| 1921 | Dies. | 1 |
At auction 落札作品
Our auction-records database holds 2 public results for this maker, at Bonhams and Christie’s, from 2013 to 2024. The highest is a pair of cloisonné enamel vases, Christie's, Japanese and Korean Art, 2013-03-20, lot 681, at US$111,750. These are public historical results, not valuations.
Bonhams catalogues a large rectangular plaque of Raijin as by Kawade Shibatarō (1856–1921) for the Andō Jūbei Company after a design by Katsushika Hokusai, worked in musen and shōsen enamel in silver wire. The catalogue line thus names maker, company and design source separately.1
Facts in this section are as stated by the auction houses in their lot essays, footnoted below. Where they differ from other sources we say so.
Works sold at auction
Photographs © the auction houses, as credited. Each links to its record.
Notes to “At auction”
- Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art Including Meiji Masterpieces from a Distinguished Deceased Estate, 2024-05-16, lot 142, lot description and footnote. ↗
Record prices 最高落札
Public historical auction results from our auction-records database, including buyer’s premium. They are not a valuation of any work.
| Date | Object, as catalogued | House | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-20 | A pair of cloisonné enamel vases By | Christie's, lot 681 | US$111,750 |
| 2024-05-16 | Cloisonné-Enamel Rectangular Large Plaque Company | Bonhams, lot 142 | £82,950 ≈ US$104,990 |
Other cited auction results
Public auction results, cited to the auction house record, including buyer’s premium unless stated, in the original currency. They are historical facts, not a valuation of any work offered.
| Year | Object, as catalogued | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Kawade Shibataro (1856–?) inlaid wire mark: Pair of hexagonal vases, Art Nouveau peacock feathers, 31.1 cm. Christie's NY 20 Mar 2013 (sale 2688 | US$111,750 (est. 20–30k) | Source ↗ |
| 2016 | Attributed to Kawade Shibataro: Pair of hexagonal peacock-feather vases, 33.8 cm. Bonhams NY 14 Sep 2016 | US$93,750 | Source ↗ |
| 2019 | Kawade Shibataro: Pair of moriage baluster vases, wisteria (mounted as lamps), 47 cm. Bonhams London 7 Nov 2019 | £25,062.50 | Source ↗ |
| 2024 | Attributed to Kawade Shibataro: Hexagonal waisted peacock-feather vase, 33.8 cm. Bonhams London 7 Nov 2024 | £21,760 | Source ↗ |
Sources
Descriptions record our research and opinion as of 20 October 2026. Works are offered as described. Please see our Terms of Sale.