Iron Kettle with Pine Grove Design, by Katori Hozuma

Katori Hozuma (1874‐1954) was a metalwork artist and a poet. He was born in Chiba prefecture. Katori graduated from the Metalworks Department of Tokyo Art Academy. In 1953 he was awarded the “Bunka kunsho" prize. Specializing in the classical traditional arts of China and Japan, Katori created elegant works which evoked a modern sensibility. He was also famous as a poet of the Araragi school of poetry.

This work shows a grove of pines in low relief, drawing on motifs from the classic poetry anthology, the Man'yoshu. The poem he refers to uses the term “Mitsu no matsubara" or the “Pine Grove of Mitsu," and here the term “Mitsu" is thought to refer to the port in Mitsu‐mura, Nishinari‐gun, Settsu no kuni (near present‐day Osaka) where in ancient times emissaries from the Japanese court would set sail for overseas assignments.