SIGNED NIHON KOKU KYOTO JU KOMAI SEI, MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY)

AROUND 1873 KOMAI OTOJIRO STARTED SELLING DAMASCENED IRONWARES IN KOBE, A CENTRE OF FOREIGN TRADE, AND WITHIN A FEW YEARS HIS CHARGERS, PLAQUES, CABINETS, MODEL PADOGAS, AND VASES WERE IN SUCH DEMAND THAT HE WAS PROSPEROUS ENOUGH TO BUY A LARGE HOUSE. THE NAME KOMAI SELDOM APPEARS, HOWEVER, IN THE LISTS OF ARTISTS FOR INTERNATIONAL OR NATIONAL EXHIBITIONS UNTIL 1903, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE A KYOTO DEALER, IKEDA SEISUKE, MARKETED MOST OF THEIR WORK. IT WAS IKEDA, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF 1900 FOR A PLATE OF GOLD AND SILVER WHICH MAY WELL HAVE COME FROM THE KOMAI WORKSHOP.