Moving past the ceramics section, we enter a breathtaking realm of metalwork (Chokin – 彫金) in the first room. Standing (or rather, gracefully lounging) before us is the elegant Water-type Eeveelution: Vaporeon.
The Chemistry of Water-Type: The Mystery of Patina (緑青 – Rokusho)
One of the first questions international art collectors ask when seeing this piece is, “How did he get that beautiful, mossy blue-green color on metal?”
The answer lies in ancient Japanese metal chemistry. The master metal artisan, Taiichiro Yoshida, did not paint this sculpture. Instead, he crafted the body from copper and intentionally induced a chemical reaction to create Rokusho (緑青 – Copper Patina). By carefully controlling the oxidation process, he achieved that stunning, natural turquoise-blue gradient that perfectly embodies Vaporeon’s connection to deep water.
Thousands of Metal Scales Hand-Hammered Together
If you zoom in close on Vaporeon’s skin, you will notice it isn’t a single flat sheet of metal. Its entire body is covered in thousands of tiny, petal-like copper scales.
Yoshida hand-hammered and shaped each individual piece before intricately interlocking them like a mosaic jigsaw puzzle. In the games, Vaporeon’s Pokédex entry states that its cell structure is similar to water molecules, allowing it to melt into water. Yoshida’s technique beautifully reflects this lore—the thousands of overlapping metal pieces look like liquid ripples frozen in solid metal.
A Golden Fin That Captures the Light
Contrasting sharply against the cool, oxidized copper body is the large, golden ruff around Vaporeon’s neck and its head fins.
These parts were created using gold gilding (金箔 – Kinpaku) on the metal base. The texture of the golden ruff has a fine, subtle grain that catches the museum’s spotlights flawlessly, looking almost like a delicate fan or a crown fit for a legendary mermaid.
Outro
Looking through the lens at this sculpture, the juxtaposition of hard metal and soft, graceful curves is an absolute triumph. Yoshida took a digital creature and turned it into an antiquity that feels like it was excavated from an ancient, underwater palace.
How does this oxidized copper version of Vaporeon change your perspective on the beauty of Water-type Pokémon? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
