Flowers of Fire by Hirayama Fireworks Co.
ABOUT THIS COLLECTION
All from the late 19th century, these illustrations evoke a unique sense of visual enchantment while documenting an important period of Japanese culture. First invented in China around the second century B.C., firework displays began in Japan in the early 1600s as a form of entertainment for feudal lords. Called hanabi, or flower fire, Japanese firework artistry is very demanding and refined but relatively little known outside Japan. The most common firework displays used in the world today, known as the chrysanthemum and peony, actually originated in Japan in the 1920s. In this collection you'll also find records of daytime hanabi, or balloons shaped like frogs, horses, and more. These originated in Japan and are not traditional fireworks, although some launched flags, confetti or floating figures onto delighted spectators.
COLLECTION DETAILS
- Series title: Flowers of Fire: Illustrations from Japanese Fireworks Catalogues
- Series size: 16 artworks
- Edition: Limited edition of 1000
- Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarrante proof of ownership.
- Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
- Medium: Illustration
- Artwork materials: Premium fine art illustration paper
- Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
- ID: 2749212597480566...
ABOUT THE ARTIST
The illustrator behind these images is unnamed, but the fireworks themselves demonstrate enormous artistry that is specific to Japan. Generally, Japanese firework masters, or hanabishi, create shells that explode into large, perfect spheres, which makes the chrysanthemum-shaped firework, considered by many in Japan to be the most beautiful of all. From the 1920s, hanabishi have improved on the chrysanthemum’s single, small flaming sphere, adding the eruption of a second, larger sphere and then a third one that is larger still. For a brief moment the three rings hang together in the sky before fading away. Today’s hanabishi are making chrysanthemums with five concentric circles, which requires great pyrotechnic skill and as much as a year of preparation.
COLLECTION CREDITS
- Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
- Artwork: Hirayama Fireworks Co.
- Year of original publication: ca. 1880s
- Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
- Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
- Editorial: Braden Phillips
- Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
- Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
- Source of artwork: Yokohama City Central Library
- Underlying work rights: PD Worldwide
- Digital copyrights: Pending clarification
ABOUT THE ARTWORKS
Find below the name of each of the 16 Artworks (historical NFTs) that are included in this collection:
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01. Daylight Bombshell No10
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02. Colored Star Mines
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03. Daylight Bombshell No58
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04. Night Bombshells No105
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05. Daylight Bombshell No59
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06. Night Bombshells No88
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07. Daylight Bombshell No63
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08. Night Bombshells No94
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09. Daylight Bombshell No15
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10. Night Bombshells No15
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11. Daylight Bombshell No66
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12. Night Bombshells No95
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13. Daylight Bombshell No67
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14. Night Bombshells No72
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15. Daylight Bombshell No11
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16. Night Bombshells No96