On Saturday, April 16, 1921, Sessei OKAZAKI, a caster, died at the age of 67. His real name was Shojiro. He was born in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City in 1854. His father was Sadaho OKAZAKI, a kamashi (tea kettle caster). At the age of 21, he moved to Tokyo to study minting and became a disciple of Suzuki Masakichi, a caster. It was exhibited at the 1889 Paris World Exposition and received a high evaluation. The following year, 1890, he became a teacher of the Department of Casting at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts by Okakura Tenshin.
He continued to produce works energetically, refined his casting techniques, and undertook the work of famous sculptors of the time. He cast many sculptures, including the statue of Takamori Saigo at Ueno Park, the statue of Kirin at the handrail of Nihonbashi Bridge, and the statue of Lieutenant Colonel Hirose at Manseibashi Bridge. In the statue of Masashige Kusunoki in the Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace, they succeeded in Japan’s first decomposition casting method.
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