PROPERTY OF VARIOUS OWNERS KITAMURA SHIKAI (1871-1927)A Bronze Figure of Yasuda Zenjirō Showa era (1926-1989), 1927 The elderly man wearing kimono, seated in the seiza position with his legs tucked under him, holding a folding fan in both hands; inscribed on the bottom Kinkendō / Yazuda Zenjirō Ō / Shōwa ni-nen / Shikai-saku and a seal, the date corresponding to 1927. 12 1/2in (40cm) high Kitamura Shikai, born in Nagano, Japan, studied Japanese sculptural techniques before going to Paris, France in 1900 to study Western techniques for two years. He is best known for his sculptures in stone and bronze, and his marble sculpture of Eve is in the collection of The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Yasuda Zenjirō (1838-1921) was a Japanese entrepreneur who founded the Yasuda Zaibatsu conglomerate. He is known for helping to establish the Third National Bank in 1876, and founding or funding many otherpanies that still exist in some form today.