Edoardo Chiossone

Italian copperplate engraver. Born in Arenzano near Genoa. He studied at the art school in the same city, and in 1867 he exhibited his work at the Paris World's Fair, where he won a silver medal. He was then sent from Italy to Germany to apply his copperplate engraving techniques to the printing of paper money and government bond certificates. In 1875 (Meiji 8), he was invited by the Japanese government to work as an engraver at the Ministry of Finance's Paper Money Bureau (later the Printing Bureau), where he worked on printing various types of paper money and stamps using techniques that applied copperplate engraving, while also providing technical guidance to younger generations in copperplate production. During this time, he created portraits of Emperor Meiji, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi, and others in conte paintings and copperplate prints. He was also known as a collector of Japanese art and crafts, and the Chiosone Museum is located in Genoa, a museum that he donated. He died in his home in Tokyo in 1898, and is buried in Aoyama Cemetery.

[Shinichi Nagai August 21, 2018]

"Kenjiro Kumamoto, 'Study of Italian Artists Who Came to Japan in the Early Meiji Era' (1940, Sanseido)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イタリアの銅版画家。ジェノバ市近郊のアレンツァノに生まれる。同市の美術学校に学び、1867年パリ万国博覧会に作品を出品して銀牌(ぎんぱい)を得た。その後、銅版の技術を紙幣・公債証書などの印刷に応用すべくイタリアからドイツに派遣された。1875年（明治8）大蔵省紙幣寮（後の印刷局）彫刻師として日本政府に招かれ、銅版彫刻を応用した技術で各種の紙幣や切手の印刷に従事するかたわら、後進の銅版製作の技術指導にあたった。その間、明治天皇や西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)、大久保利通(おおくぼとしみち)らの肖像画をコンテ画や銅版画に作成している。日本美術工芸品の収集家としても知られ、ジェノバ市には彼の寄付によるキヨソーネ美術館がある。明治31年東京の自邸で没し、墓は青山霊園にある。

［永井信一　2018年8月21日］

『隈元謙次郎著『明治初期来朝　伊太利亜美術家の研究』（1940・三省堂）』

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