Arts & Antiques GENEI
ご挨拶
「Arts & Antiques GENEI(げんえい)」は清課堂当主である山中源兵衛が、優れた金工作家と作品たちをご紹介するオンラインギャラリーです。
他の工芸とくらべて認知度が低い金属工芸の世界では、優品が数多く埋もれています。それらにスポットライトを当てる “場づくり” は、20年来あたためてきた構想でした。皆さまに知っていただき、販売することで、志のある作家を後押ししたい、ひいては金属工芸界の活性化にも繋げていきたいというコンセプトは2012年度から開催してきた金属工芸公募展「いまからまめさら」にも通じるものです。
私どもでは、金工の魅力をより多くの方に発信する場として、店舗奥の蔵・茶室・和室をギャラリーとして開放し様々な展覧会を開催して参りました。ギャラリー運営は家業を継いだ時から持ち続けている需要と供給の溝を埋めるための仕掛けでもあります。古くなったら買い替えたいお客さまと、長く使い継げる品をご提供したい作り手。使い捨て文化が定着した消費社会で生まれたズレを少しでも解消できればと、取り組みを続けております。
ギャラリー開館から20年を経た2021年「Arts & Antiques GENEI」が誕生しました。「GENEI(げんえい)」の名は4代目当主である曽祖父に因んだもの。隠居後は「源永」を名乗って創作活動に打ち込み、優れた作品を数多く残しました。文化活動、表現活動に勤しむ姿は私自身の道標ともなっていることから、ものづくりの精神と共に隠居名を受け継ぎました。
「GENEI」で扱うのは、私好みを追求した選りすぐりの「Arts & Antiques」となります。新旧金工の技と表現を新たな角度からご提案して参ります。またここで言うアンティークとは、いわゆる骨董品に限ったものありません。古いものを再発掘したり、時代と共に使われなくなったものに手を加えたりして、今の暮らしの中で再活用できるよう新たに造形された工芸品・生活用品も含みます。良い品は、経年劣化による錆や傷、継ぎさえも味わいとなるもの。使い続けるほど、古色と共に趣や美しさをまとい、“寂び” や “きれい寂び” を感じられます。どうぞじっくりと作品を鑑賞し、作り手の世界観に触れてください。このサイトが工芸の世界に興味を抱き、生活に取り入れていただくきっかけになれば幸いです。
清課堂当主 山中源兵衛
Greeting from the President
Arts & Antiques GENEI is an online gallery where I, Genbei Yamanaka, current president of Seikado, introduces exceptional metalwork artists and their works.
In the world of artistic metal works, which is lesser known than other forms of crafts, many excellent products lay buried. Creating a stage to spotlight these works is a concept that has long been in the making, since two decades ago. Through activities to familiarize and sell artistic works to the general public, the concept of supporting aspiring artists and revitalizing the field of artistic metalwork underscores our intent for Ima-kara Mame-sara, an open call metalwork exhibition that we have been hosting since 2012.
As a place to convey the allure of artistic metalworking to as many people as possible, we have opened our warehouse, tea ceremony room, and Japanese-style room in the back area of our store as a gallery, and have been hosting various exhibitions. Our gallery management is a process, in a way, to fill a gap between supply and demand that I have felt since succeeding our family business. On one hand, we have customers who yearn for new pieces once current products grow old, and on the other hand, we have artists who wish to provide products that can be used for a very long time. We will continue our efforts to straighten a misalignment created by today’s consumerist society infiltrated by ‘throwaway’ culture.
Now in 2021, Arts & Antiques GENEI is born two decades after the opening of our gallery. The name GENEI is named after the fourth-generation head of my family, my great-grandfather. After retirement, he had devoted himself to creative activities under the name of Genei and left many excellent works. His way of rigorously working in cultural and creative expression activities is my own guidepost, so I decided to engrain his retired name in the brand along with his spirit of artisanship.
Arts & Antiques at GENEI are selected according to my ultimate personal preference. We propose the expression of new and old artistic metalwork pieces from a new perspective. The ‘antiques’ we refer to here, are not simply antique products. They include newly formed products and livingware that can be reused in today's life through rediscovery or repurposing of aged pieces that had ceased to be used over time. A good product is one in which rust, scratches, and even joints can be appreciated as tasteful patina over age. The more it is used, the more you can feel the qualities of ‘Sabi’ and even ‘Kirei Sabi’ (beautiful Sabi, a more visually elegant form of Sabi)―dressed with aged colors, sentimental ambience and beauty. Please take a close look at the collection of works here and experience the world of their creators. It is my hope that this site inspires you to explore the world of metal art and offers an opportunity to incorporate these works into your daily life.
Sincerely,
Genbei Yamanaka
President and Seventh-Generation Family Head
Seikado Co., Ltd.
清課堂 / Seikado
天保九年(1838年)創業、錫器・銀器・各種金属工芸品の専門店です。創業以来、神社・仏閣・宮中の御用品の制作に代々励んで参りました。現在では錫器を主に銀器銅器など多様な工芸品を手掛けています。
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〒604-0932 京都市中京区寺町通二条下る妙満寺前町462
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電話: 075-231-3661(受付時間は営業時間内となります)
Seikado was established here in Kyoto in 1838 (Edo Period) as a pewterer. Our 7th owner has devoted himself to making pewter arts as well as running exhibitions displaying a wide range of Japanese metal arts.
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Address: 462 Myomanjimae-cho, Teramachi-dori-Nijo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
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Telephone: +81-75-231-3661 (Available during business hours only.)