Tanabe Chikuunsai II

Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910-2000)

Tanabe Chikuunsai II was the son of Tanabe Chikuunsai I and was based in Osaka and Sakai.

He was the second artist of the Tanabe dynasty to bear the name of Chikuunsai which means "Bamboo Cloud".

He was famous for his Chinese-style baskets, sometimes called bunjin kago (the scholar basket).
Until the middle of the 19th century, locally made baskets were not signed, probably to distinguish them from more expensive imported baskets.

In 1930 he became a member of the Naniwa Ranyukai group and in 1931 he became known as the Schochikuunsai studio and was accepted the same year in the 12th Teiten, the exhibitions of Teiten, Shin-Butten and Niten In 1937.

On the death of Chikuunsai I, he assumed the name of Chikuunsai II. He changed his style, leaving the karamono baskets a bit heavy, for more open baskets such as In 1952 he received the Tokusen Prize and the Asakura at the Nitten's 8th Exhibition, and in 1959 he won the Osaka Prefecture Arts Prize, and in 1981 the Japanese government promoted him to 4th place in Zuiho.

In 1991 he transferred his studio name to his eldest son, who became Chikuunsai III and took the name of Ichikusai. Remained active as an advisor to the Nitten, Nihon Shin-kôgei Bijutsu Kyokai Association, and permanent director of the Osaka Kôgei Kyokai Association.