小林菊一郎　Kikuichiro Kobayashi

大橋徳松とともに近代の切子職人を代表する1人とされているのが、堀口硝子の創業者・堀口市雄の師匠でもある小林菊一郎です。明治29年に、群馬の材木屋の末っ子として誕生。その後、明治41年に上京すると、大橋の最初の内弟子となりました。厳しい修業に耐えて年季を勤めあげた小林は、大正末頃には岩城硝子からのれんを分け与えられ、切子屋として独立。一時は、師匠の大橋と岩城内の加工場に並んで腕を競い合ったほど、レベルの高い優れたカットグラスを数多く生み出しました。

実力を見込まれた小林は、岩城硝子のほかに各務クリスタル製作所や岡本硝子、河井硝子（昭和特殊硝子）などと取引を行い、あちこちで引っ張りだことなります。終戦後は切子業を再開し、加工を手掛けながら後進育成にも尽力。厚木の日本陶器（ノリタケ）に出向した際には、同社の若者たちにも切子技術の指導を行いました。昭和38年には日本伝統工芸展に初出品し、優秀賞を見事に受賞。名実ともに“近世切子の名工”となりますが、同年の秋に惜しくも生涯を終えました。

たくさんの優秀な人材を育てあげ、多大な功績を残した職人である小林の名は、日本の切子界を語るうえで欠かせない人物としていまなお語り継がれているのです。現在、小林の作品は、京都国立近代美術館や国立工芸館、サントリー美術館にも所蔵されています。

一部引用©山口勝旦『江戸切子』2009年, 里文出版

One of the leading kiriko craftsmen of the modern era along Ohashi Tokumatsu, is Kobayashi Kikuichiro, who was also the master of Horiguchi Kiriko's founder, Horiguchi Ichio. He was born in 1896 as the youngest son of a lumber merchant in Gunma. In 1908 he moved to Tokyo, and became Ohashi's first apprentice. After enduring a rigorous apprenticeship, Kobayashi completed his years of service, and around the end of the Taisho era, he shared the goodwill of Iwaki Glass and set up his own business as a kiriko glass craftsman. At one time, his many excellent cut glass artworks were of such a high standard that he and his master Ohashi competed side by side in Iwaki's workshop.

As Kobayashi’s ability was widely recognised and sought after, he also did business with Kagami Crystal Glass, Okamoto Glass and Kawai Glass (Showa Special Glass) in addition to Iwaki Glass. After the war, he resumed his kiriko business to work on his glass artworks while also training younger workers. When he was seconded to Nippon Toki (Noritake) in Atsugi, he also taught kiriko techniques to the company’s young employees. In 1963, he exhibited his work for the first time at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and successfully won the Excellence Award. He became a 'modern kiriko master craftsman' in both name and reality, but sadly passed away in the autumn of the same year.

A craftsman who nurtured many talented people and left behind many achievements, Kobayashi remains an essential name in the history of Japanese kiriko glass. Today, Kobayashi's works are in the collections of The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, the National Crafts Museum and the Suntory Museum of Art.

Partial Citation©Katsuaki Yamaguchi, 2009 printed in Japan