Red vermilion Yangcheng - Tsuishuyouzei

This is the hereditary name of a family that passed down the technique of lacquer ware from the Muromachi period onwards. Its founder was Nagamitsu, who served Ashikaga Yoshiakira during the Enbun period (1356-61) at the beginning of the Nanboku-cho period. As their works were said to be comparable to those of Zhang Cheng and Yang Mao , masters of lacquer carving during the Yuan dynasty in China, their descendants took one character from each of their names and named themselves Yang Cheng. The second generation was Nagatatsu, the third generation Nagasada, the fourth generation Nagatsugu, the fifth generation Nagashige, and the sixth generation Nagafusa, and the seventh generation Nagachika served Toyotomi Hideyoshi and made tea utensils before moving to Kamakura. The eighth generation, Chomune, lived in Ogawa-cho, Kanda, Edo, and served the Tokugawa family, but his works using abalone are known as Kamakura lacquer ware and are thought to be the same person as Tsuishu Heijuro. The ninth generation was Chozen. After the 10th head Nagayoshi was summoned to the Shogunate's workshop as Tsunayoshi's lacquer artist, successive generations of the family served the Tokugawa family, up until the 18th head Kunihira, but the tradition was discontinued with the Meiji Restoration, and the 19th head Tsunenaga (the eldest son of the 18th head Yoshisaburo) attempted to revive the tradition and handed it over to his younger brother Toyogoro (1880-1952). Toyogoro took on the name of the 20th head in 1896 (Meiji 29), became a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1949 (Showa 24), and was very active, exhibiting works that added new ideas at exhibitions both at home and abroad.

[Goka loyal retainer]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町時代以降、堆朱の技法を伝えた家系の世襲名。南北朝時代初期の延文(えんぶん)年間（1356～61）足利義詮(あしかがよしあきら)に仕えた長充(ちょうじゅう)を始祖とする。その作品が中国元(げん)代の彫漆(ちょうしつ)の名工張成と楊茂の作に劣らぬということから、両者の一字をとって、その子孫も代々楊成を名のった。2代長辰、3代長貞、4代長嗣、5代長繁、6代長房と続き、7代長親は豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉に仕えて茶器を制作、のち鎌倉に移住した。8代長宗は江戸の神田(かんだ)小川町に住んで徳川家に仕えたが、青貝を用いたその作品は鎌倉堆朱とよばれ、堆朱平十郎と同一人とも考えられている。9代は長善。10代長是が綱吉の堆朱師として幕府細工所に召し出されてからは代々徳川家の御用を勤めて18代国平まで続いたが、明治維新で中絶、19代経長（18代の長男好三郎）が再興を図って弟の豊五郎（1880―1952）に引き継いだ。豊五郎は1896年（明治29）に20代を襲名、1949年（昭和24）芸術院会員となり、内外の展覧会に新たなくふうを加えた作品を出品するなどして大いに活躍した。

［郷家忠臣］

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