Lion, Japanese Bronze By Uichirô Ogura (1881-1962), Dated 1939

Uichirô OGURA was born in Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku. He worked in the sculpture department of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1907. He went to France in 1920 where he studied under Rodin, then returned to Japan in 1921. He then founded the Takinogawa Sculpture Research Institute and guided the younger generation. He was one of the teachers of Kosuke Fujii, Fumio Asakura, and Yuhachi Ikeda. In 1922, at the 4th Imperial Art Exhibition held in Japan, he was a member of the exhibition's selection jury.

In 1926, he helped organize the Expressionist Art exhibition, which would be the only one organized in Japan on this movement. In 1937, he was one of the architects of the Pan-Pacific Peace Exhibition in Nagoya (an exhibition against military operations in China), which ended in failure, making it impossible to criticize the nation and the military as the war intensified.

After World War II, he returned to his hometown, Kagawa Prefecture, and became the principal of Takamatsu Technical High School in 1948. He was also a judge at the Kagawa Prefectural Art and Craft Exhibition and contributed to the city's artistic revival.

Ogura excelled in bronze sculpture, notably with the statues of Chuzo Mito and Kobo Daishi. He also carved in wood and stone, and produced numerous works, such as the Monument of the Faithful Soul at Yasukuni Shrine, Buddha statues, still lifes, and nude statues. He died on July 15, 1962, at the age of 81. His grave is located in Aoba Garden in Mitsuhashi, Nishi-ku, Saitama City.

He received dozens of awards and numerous solo exhibitions.

This bronze was donated as a memorial and is dated November 1939 (see inscription).