One of the most remarkable developments of figure sculpture in modern Japan was due to Matsumoto Kisaburo (1830-1869).
Without scientific training 01 any kind Matsumoto and his followers produced works in which the eye of science cannot detect any error.
A considerable school of carvers soon began to work in the Matsumoto style, and hundreds of their pi-oductions have gone to Europe and America, finding no market in Japan.
Midway between the Matsumoto school and the pure style approved by the native taste in former times stand a number of wood-carvers headed by Takamura KOun, who The Semi- occupies in the field of sculpture much the same place ign as that held by Hashimoto Gaho in the realm of 00.