Living National Treasure Kiichiro Masumura

  • Lacquerware
  • 1941 -
Kiichiro Masumura

Kyushitsu technique – this is where urushi lacquer brings out the beauty of wood, bark, linen and hemp yarn.

Membership Full member, Japan Kogei Association
Professor emeritus at Tokyo University of the Arts
Advisor at the Japan Kogei Association
Chairman of the the Japan Cultural Property Lacquer Association
Judge for certifying traditional craftsmen at the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries
Status Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for Lacquer )
  • 1941 Born in Tokyo as the first son of lacquerware artist Mashiki Masumura
  • 1969 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School, Department of Crafts, Japanese Lacquer Course
  • 1993 Invited to submit to the "Nuances in Lacquer: 70 Years of Innovations" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
  • 1995 Invited to submit to the "Japanese Studio Crafts" exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Artwork purchased by the museum.
  • 1996 Invited to submit to the "Rainbows and Shimmering Bridges -Contemporary Japanese Lacquerware Exhibition" at the Japan Society Gallery, NY and the Denver Art Museum, USA
  • 1997 Appears on NHK TV program "Saturday Art Morning", nationwide broadcast
  • 1998 Reproduced an imitation of a Shosoin treasure "Shippi Onkesabako (Box for storing Emperor Shomu's stoles)" made with lacquered leather owned by the Imperial Household Agency
  • 2000 Becomes Director of the Japan Kogei Association (Executive Director from 2004 - 2009)
  • 2002 Curator of The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (until March 2009)
  • 2006 Chairman of the Japan Kogei Association Lacquerware Department (until 2009)
  • 2007 Invited to submit to "Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan:Celebrating Fifty Years of the Japan Traditional Art Crafts" Exhibition, British Museum, UK
  • 2008 Designated as Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property
  • 2010 Becomes Goodwill Ambassador for Kasukabe City
    Participates in the Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading Ceremony
  • 2013 Made new sacred treasures for Ise Jingu. Had an audience with the emperor. Attended the "Sengyo Ritual" at Ise Jingu.
  • 2016 Technical arts' documentary movie, "Kyushitsu, The Lacquer Art by Masumura Kiichiro", made by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, completed
  • 2018 "Lacquer Friends of the World" exhibition at Museum für Lackkunst, Münster, Germany
    Submitted to "URUSHI Tradition and Innovation" travelling exhibition held at Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, SOGO Museum of Art, and MOA Museum of Art (Atami, Shizuoka) (- 2019)
  • 2020 "Kogei 2020 - The Art of Crafting Beauty from Nature" at Tokyo National Museum, Hyokeikan

  • 1979Recieved the Japan Kogei Association Chairman's Award for the "Kanshitsu Cinnabar-lacquer Tray with Handle" at the 26th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  • 1981Received the Asahi Shimbun Award for the "Kanshitsu Cinnabar-lacquer Floral-shaped Bowl" at the 28th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  • 1989Received the Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder Selection Award at the 36th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  • 2002Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
  • 2008Received the Grand Prize at the16th MOA Mokichi Okada Award Exhibition
    Received the Kasukabe City Honor Award
  • 2012Received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
  • 2021Received the Saitama Cultural Award

  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
  • Victoria and Albert Museum (London)
  • MOA Museum of Art
  • The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
  • Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
  • The Museum of Lacquer Art Münster (Germany)
  • Agency for Cultural Affairs
  • Jingu Art Museum
  • Yamanashi Prefectural Museum
  • Museum of Kyushu Sangyo University
  • Daegu University Central Museum (Korea)
  • Wajima Museum of Urushi Art
  • Wajima Urushi Art Technical Training Center
  • Kiso Lacquerware Museum
  • Yakushiji Temple

Price Range

$ 300 - 13,000

The prices of the artworks on Gallery Japan are determined by the artists themselves and are published directly on the website.

59 artworks posted