Hirakushi Denchū
| Denchū Hirakushi, 平櫛田中 | |
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| Native name | 平櫛田中 |
| Born |
February 23, 1872 Shitsuki, Okayama, Japan |
| Died | December 30, 1979 (aged 107) Tokyo, Japan |
| Resting place | Tama Cemetery, Fuchū, Tokyo |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Awards | Person of Cultural Merit (1954), Order of Cultural Merit (1962) |
Hirakushi Denchū or Hiragushi Denchū (平櫛田中 Denchū Hirakushi?, February 2, 1872 – December 30, 1979) was a Japanese sculptor. He was noted for his traditional Japanese wood sculptures, especially realistically rendered painted wooden portrait sculptures, often incorporating Buddhist themes. He was appointed to the Imperial Art Academy in 1937 and in 1944 was appointed an Imperial Household Artist. He was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1954 and in 1962 was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit.
His carving of a pair of dragon gods can be found in the rear alcoves of Kaminarimon Gate at the entrance to Tokyo's Sensō-ji Temple, installed in 1978 on the 1,350th anniversary of the Kannon's first appearance in Asakusa.
Denchū was born in Shitsuki (now part of Ibara) in Okayama Prefecture, Japan in 1872, under the name Tanaka. In 1882, he was adopted by Hirakushi family of Numakuma in Hiroshima Prefecture and took on the new name. He began his career as an artist in 1893, starting as an apprentice to woodcarver Nakaya Seiko, who carved puppets for bunraku puppet dramas in Osaka. In 1897 he moved to Tokyo and studied under artist Kōun Takamura (sculptor of the 1898 bronze statue of Saigō Takamori which stands in Ueno Park in Tokyo). In 1907, Denchu and three other sculptors established the Nihon Chōkoku Kai (Japan Sculpture Society), and he submitted his 1908 wood sculpture Katsujinsen ("The life-bearing arrow") to its first exhibition, winning the attention of the influential art scholar Okakura Tenshin.
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