Japanese bronze by Tsuda EIJU – Walking panther

Tsuda EIJU (1915–2001) is considered the most important Japanese bronze sculptor of the second half of the 20th century. The adopted son and successor of the Imperial artist Tsuda (Daiju) SHINOBU (1875–1946), he studied under him and later inherited the Tsuda family name — his birth name before adoption by the celebrated sculptor being Matsunuma.

Throughout his distinguished career, Eiju exhibited extensively and received numerous prestigious awards, including the Export Prize of the Crafts Exhibition, the Prize of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Art and Crafts Exhibition, the Foundry Masterpiece Award, and the Hokuto Special Prize at the 5th Nitten (1962 – Japan Fine Arts Exhibition). He was a member of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, served as juror for the Fukushima Art Exhibition, and held a professorship at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts.

In this striking bronze, Tsuda Eiju captures not merely the form of a panther, but its contained power — the silent, tensile energy that precedes movement. The animal advances with measured authority, its elongated body articulated in a seamless flow of muscular tension and grace. Every contour is purposeful; every surface alive with subtle modulation.

The panther’s head is slightly raised, alert, almost regal. The parted mouth and focused gaze suggest vigilance rather than aggression. Tsuda avoids theatrical dramatization. Instead, he distills the essence of the feline: strength held in reserve, elegance without excess. The tail curves in a controlled arc, balancing the forward stride and reinforcing the sculpture’s rhythmic composition.

The bronze surface is finished with a deep, nuanced patina of green and brown tones, lending the work both visual warmth and sculptural depth. Light moves gently across the polished planes of the shoulders and flanks, emphasizing the anatomical refinement and the artist’s intimate understanding of animal form. The treatment of the paws and musculature reveals a sculptor trained not only in observation, but in reduction — eliminating anecdotal detail in favor of sculptural purity.

This panther stands as a superb example of 20th-century Japanese bronze sculpture — a work that unites technical mastery with aesthetic restraint. It possesses a quiet monumentality despite its scale and embodies the refined elegance so characteristic of the finest Japanese sculptural traditions.

A powerful presence — both timeless and unmistakably modern.