Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (611)

A radical image by the outlandish Doi Goga featuring a black devil and its child. The child reaches up to the monster, while the monster seems to be giving him a raspberry, his toungue flailing in the air. Ink on paper, it has been completely restored in beige cloth border with bone rollers reflecting the original mounting. The scroll is 42 x 181 cm (16-1/2 x 71-1/4 inches) ad is in excellent condition. Doi Goga (1818-1880) was a Confucian scholar of the late Edo to Meiji periods. He was born the son of a doctor serving the lords of Ise (modern Mie prefecture), home of the gods and Ise Shrine. A child prodigy, he studied under Ishikawa Chikugai and Saito Setsudo. The early death of his father saw him succeed the family head at the age of 12. He would serve later as a teacher in the official government school. He held strong opinions and was very critical of the hypocrisy and corruption he saw in military government and in Confucianism itself. His works began to see the light of day in the early Meiji period, however due to their inflammatory nature, much was left unpublished until after his death. Known for paintings of bamboo and landscapes, his Dojin figures are rare and highly sought.

A voluminous ink landscape built around two scholars viewing the cascade dropping into the canyon on this huge scroll by Tanaka Hakuin enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated Meiji 45 (1912). Performed with rich black ink against the sheer white paper, the mountainous crags and leafy forms built up in layers of gray and black. The scene is mounted in patterned silk with white piping in the Mincho style popular among literati painters in the era, and features huge bone rollers. It is 104.5 x 238 cm (41 x 94 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Tanaka Hakuin (birth name Nakagawa Keizaburo, 1866-1934) was born in Suruga, Shizuoka prefecture in the last years of the Edo period and became a student of Tanomura Chokunyu in Kyoto, the cultural heartland of Japan, at the age of 17. This was a tumultuous period as Western ideas and Technology were flooding into Japan. He was the top pupil of Chokunyu, working in the style of both Chikuden and his mentor. At this time he used the name Tanomura Hakuin. In 1900 he married and moved to Hofu city in Yamaguchi prefecture taking his wifes family name Tanaka as his surname, and thereafter was known as Tanaka Hakuin. He established a school for painting where he worked for his remaining years. Work by him is held in the Mori Art Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art among others.

A dark forest rises in a field of white, as if still covered in frost or snow, over which is draped a poem brushed in the exquisite script of the poet-nun Otagaki Rengetsu, Itsu to naki, Tokiwa no sato ha, Hototogisu shinobu hatsune ni, Uzuki wo ya shiru?
With the first cry of the Cuckoo, in this village of Tokiwa
Will the people realize, Spring has arrived?
To the extreme left, the cuckoo flies off the page. Ink on paper in forest green silk extended in a beige with black lacquered wood rollers. The scroll is 50.5 x 113.5 cm (20 x 44-1/2 inches). There are faint water stains in the upper border (see closeup photos). It comes enclosed in an old wooden collector’s box annotated by Nanga artist Ueda Koho (1860-1944). The inscription reads Rengetsu-ni Painting, Attested to by the eyes of the 80 year old man Koho Ueda.
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu. Born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

Delicate fish scale patterns in gold on bronze lacquer highlight old chips on the rim of this large Yamachawan Tea bowl dating from the Kamakura to early Muromachi periods (12th -15th centuries). Blue glaze twinkles on the heavily eroded surface, where Shizen-yu ash pooled and crystallized. There is a large slash in the glaze where another bowl had been stacked inside, and there are much losses to the surface glazing typical of excavated works. It is this very sense of loss which defines the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-sabi, so important to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It comes enclosed in a kiri-wood box.

Ducks are the only life in this landscape of frozen rice paddies by Shirakura Niho enclosed in the original double wood box (Nijubako) signed Kanyu (the name he used later in his career). Teh composition is very minimalist, relying on the diagonal lines of paddy walls to define the foreground, only a haze of color to intimate the hills beyond. Judging by the style this likely dates from the 1940s and is an exceptional work by this innovative artist. Ink and pigment on silk in a superb border of patterned silk featuring solid ivory rollers. It is 26 x 56 inches (66.5 x 142 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Shirakura Kinichiro (Niho or Jiho, Kanyu, 1896-1974) was born in Niigata, and initially was inducted into Nanga under Hatta Goro. Moving to Tokyo he began studies of Western oil painting following Ishii Hakutei. However, that was unfulfilling, and he soon moved to Kyoto, returning to the Nanga style under Tanabe Chikuson (also Tajika/Tachika Chikuson, 1864-1922). Following the death of Chikuson, he moved to Tokyo where he took up residence in the studio of Komura Suiun. He was consistently displayed at both the Teiten-Nitten National Exhibitions as well as the Nihon Nanga –In Ten. Like other individualistic artists of his generation, he was known for his very unique and easily discernible style and enjoyed immense popularity. He later changed his name to Kanyu. He was recognized in an English book published in 1958 as one of the most important artists to visit when in Japan.

A striking abstract work in red on silver over textured washi paper embedded with strands of tatami mat by revolutionary artist Hori Kosai signed ‘91 Hori. It is 13 x 23 cm (5 x 9 inches) mounted floating in a modern frame, pigments on hand-made Washi paper. Here is an opportunity to acquire an important abstract Japanese artist as yet entirely unexplored in the west.
Hori Kosai (b. 1947) is a contemporary artist and Lithographer from Toyama prefecture living in Tokyo. He entered the Tama University of Art in 1967, and in the same year with the assistance of his peers he staged the performance piece "Self-Burial Ceremony", with which his career as an artist was founded. In 1969 his work was accepted into the 9th National Modern Art Exhibition, and his career, unaffiliated with main-line art organizations, took off from there. He was very active in the Japanese student demonstrations of the late 1960s, from within which he became one of the founders, and subsequently leader, of a movement known as Bijutsuka Kyoto Kaigi (Artists Joint-Struggle Council) or "Bikyoto", which sought to interrogate the institutionalized nature of art fomenting activism and exchange between artists. He was expelled from the School before graduation as the leader of the group of radicals. The works of his early career tended to overlap with the activities of that movement, created as pieces questioning the foundations of art itself with the aim of breaking through the boundaries of modernist painting. He was chosen to represent Japan internationally twice, in Paris in 1977 and in Venice in 1984. His importance is expressed in his inclusion in the 1989 book “Print Works by 12 Artists” whch also featured Tabuchi Yasukazu, Kusama Yayoi, Lee U-Fan and Takamatsu Jiro among others. Works by him were featured in a retrospective exhibition on Japanese art from the 70s in Bologna Italy in 1992, and a traveling exhibition featuring his work (Japanese Art Today, USA, Denmark) in 1995. Since then he has been exhibited throughout Europe, Asia and America. An interesting note, he would become a professor at the school whch expelled him in 2002, and has since proven incredibly influential on a new generation of artists. His work is held in the collections of Tokyo Musuem of Modern Art, Ohara Museum, International Art Museum Osaka, Meguro Museum, Museum of Modern Art in Hiroshima, Museum of Modern Art in Kumamoto, as well as the Prefectural Museums of Tochigi, Toyama, Hyogo, Wakayama, Aichi, Kochi and Municipal Museums of Takamatsu, Takaoka, Iwaki, Chiba, Kurobe and Niigata among many others. For more see “Prospects of Contemporary Art: A Celebration of Painting (1989), “Art, Anti-art, Non-art: Experimentations in the Public Sphere in Postwar Japan, 1950-1970” (Merewether/Hiro, 2007) or “Horobi to saisei no niwa : Bijutsuka hori kosai no zenshiko” (Garden of Fall and Re-birth, 2014).

A rush of water descends into mist between the rocky crags tinted with autumns color on this superb silk scroll by Ochi Shokan enclosed in the original signed double wooden box (niju bako) titled Shusei (Voice of Autumn). Top quality, it is mounted in striped silk extended with green and has large solid ivory rollers. The scroll measures 55 x 213 cm (21-1/2 inches x 7 feet). It is in fine condition. Ochi Shokan (1882-1958) was born in Ehime prefecture on the island of Shikoku and studied painting at the Tokyo Universtiy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1902. His carrer was interrupted soon after when he was inducted into the army, and was injured in fighting during the Russo Japanese war. He returned to Tokyo to continue painting, and was accepted and awarded at the Bunten National Exhibition in 1913. The following ear he would be accepted into the first newly reorganized Inten. He would exhibit there consistently throughout his lifetime, and again with the Nitten in the post-war era. In 1922 his paintings would be selected for exhibition in the United States. He was selected as an artist to represent Japan, along with Yokoyama Taikan, Matsuoka Eigaku, Hirafuku Hyakusui and Hayami Goshun in Italy in 1930, showing how highly thought of he was at the time. A book titled Sketches in Italy published by Asahi Shinbunsha featured the works of Taikan and Shokan in Italy together. Works by him are held in the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and Tokyo National Museum among others.

A horrifying image of a ghostly apparition accompanied by a Buddhist verse engraved into this long bamboo incense container by Ishii Matetsu. It is expertly crafted. The verse reads:
Katsu!
Dokusei Dokushi Dokko Dokurai
The literal translation sounds quite cold, but in Buddhist teaching it means: We enter the world alone; we depart it alone. Do not depend upon others for your happiness, rely upon yourself and live your life in your way to the fullest. It is 48 cm (19 inches) long and in excellent condition.

An exquisite wooden plate in cinnabar lacquer over black wrapped in a chord bound cloth bag end enclosed in an age blackened kiri-wood box dating from the Edo period. The surface of brilliant red has been worn through with handling revealing the black beneath about the rim and edges. It is 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. The bottom is a brown tinged black (the brown is a product of oxidation, inherent only with age) upon which are written two characters in red. The box is titled Negoro Nuri Bon (Negoro lacquered Tray) and inside the box lid is written the name of the owner: ?hekitei Zo-gu (Collection of ?hekitei). The first character is too abbreviated to make a definitive reading.

A fabulous large porcelain vase by Daimaru Hoppo (Hokuho) enclosed in the original signed and compartmentalized wooden box complete with a rosewood base. The vase is a perfect example of the Sinophile aesthetic that permeated Japanese art in the early 20th century. The simplified form rises from to frets decorated with stylized cicada under a belt of archaic figures and yotsu-domoe (yin-yang) symbols. It is 14 inches (35 cm) tall plus the base and is in excellent condition.
Hoppo (also called Hokuho) would have been rated in the top 10 porcelain artist of Kyoto, along with Suwa Sozan, Ito Suiko, Ito Tozan, Miyanaga Tozan, Takahashi Dohachi, Seifu Yohei, Kiyomizu Rokubei, Miura Chikusen and Kiyomizu Zoroku, all artists active from the Meiji through the early Showa eras. He is best remembered for his Chinese forms and Sencha thin tea ware. Born in Ishikawa in 1879, he was initially trained in the Kutani tradition before moving to Kyoto in 1899 to study porcelain throwing and decoration there. He also spent several years in China where he became adept at the aforementioned Sencha aesthetic. Daimaru Hokuho II (Tatsuo, b. 1926) studied under both his father and Kiyomizu Rokubei V and VI. He exhibited frequently with the Nitten National Exhibition, where he would serve as a judge.

A shu-iro red lacquered sign in the shape of a tea jar dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. A long verse has been carved into the surface before lacquering. The back is bound with cloth and lacquered black. The sign is 16 x 20 inches (41 x 50 cm). There are minor chips typical of age, but is in overall very good condition. For an excellent delve into the distinctive fusion of art, design and commerce of antique Japanese signage see the book Kanban (2017, Mingei Museum, Alan Scott Pate). You will find in there a black lacquered Kanban of similar shape and style.

A halo surrounds the emaciated figure of a Rakan (Arhat or Arahat) seated atop a stone draped in billowing robes clutching a nyoi scepter in his bony left fist. The holy figure is chiseled and polished with extreme care and attention to detail. The detail in the carving is striking, as bamboo is notoriously hard and difficult to work. Setting it apart from most bamboo carving is a complex pattern of extremely fine chiseled texture throughout. It comes enclosed in a wooden box signed Raizan and dated Showa 16 (1941). It is 19.5 x 6.5 cm (7-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition.
The Sago is a decorative spoon used in preparation of Steeped tea. For more see the definitive book Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha, by Patricia J Graham (1998).
In Buddhist lore the Rakan is one who has broken the chain of re-birth and overcome the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. It is a popular theme in both Chinese and Japanese art.

A large and elegant Wa-gumi basket by Yufu Shohaku signed on the base made up of alternating strips of finely braided bamboo rope and bands of raw bamboo. This is a dramatic work measuring 22 x 20 x 14 inches (56 x 50 x 35 cm).
Yufu Shohaku (b. 1941) is a second-generation bamboo artist from Beppu, the son of Yufu Chikuryu, putting him in the lineage of Sato Chikuyusai. Shohaku began making bamboo baskets in elementary school and achieved mastery by middle school. With his father, he created many styles of flower baskets that made Beppu famous. Today he is known for traditional Beppu rough-plaited baskets that blend plant roots and bamboo chunks. An independent artist, he is the leader of the local bamboo art association and the recipient of numerous prizes including Chairman’s Prize at All Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1985 and has been named a holder of intangible cultural skill (Dento Kogeishi). His works have been exhibited many times in the United States and England and he is held in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Museum.

A fabulous baluster form vase by the first generation Kato Keizan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gaoji Ryumimi Chokoku Kabin(Ivory Porcelain Dragon Ear Carved Vase). Low on the flaring neck two dragons form handles, and the body of the vessel as carved with archaic symbols reflecting continental taste popular from the Meiji through Taisho to early Showa period. It is 33 cm (13 inches) tall 19.5 cm (7-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. Attached to the base is a collection seal from the Kono Family Collection.
Kato Keizan I (1886-1963) was born in Tajimi city, Gifu, a pottery center in its own right, however came to Kyoto to apprentice under Kiyomizu Rokubei IV (1848-1920). He established himself in 1912 in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, where he became well known for celadon and Chinese based porcelain forms. He was especially rememberd for Tenryuji seiji (Chinese Longquan celadon porcelain). Works by this artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto among others.

A lovely roku-yu glazed form from the kilns of Korea mounted on a tri-pronged rosewood stand and enclosed in a period kiri-wood box. It is 12 inches (30 cm) tall plus the stand. There are minor chips about the rim. An excellent piece for use in the tea room. Likely 15th to early 17th centuries (Possibly later Goryeo likely early Joseon).

A young girl, her hair loosely bound, drifts off into a fond memory with a smile as she brushes a letter, the reem of paper draped from her left hand, the bamboo brush idle in her right. Incredible detail from the Kinkozan Kiln in Kyoto stamped on the pale clay of the base. It is 18 cm (7 inches) long, roughly the same height and in excellent condition. Better known for Kyo-satsuma style pottery works, this is a rarity.

An exquisite vessel by Seifu Yohei IV decorated in slight relief under pale green glaze. It is 8-1/4 inches (21 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Seifū Yohei IV (Seizan: 1872-1946), the second son of Seifū Yohei III (1851-1914). He studied literati-style painting under Tanomura Shōsai (1845-1909), a son of Tanomura Chokunyū, in Osaka for three years. In 1914, he succeeded to the head of the family and produced works mostly in his father’s style. He won a number of prizes including the Golden Prize at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco in 1916 and the exhibitions of the Japan Art Association in 1916 and 1918. He produced several works for members of the Imperial family.

An elegant Edo period Mokko-Gata bowl decorated in gosu floral motifs over yellow under a clear glaze from the kiln established by Chinese Ming émigré Chin Genpin (Chen Yuanyun 1587-1671) around 1660 in Nagoya under direction of the Daimyo of Owari Province Tokugawa Mitsutomo. The piece makes use of Seto clay covered in a combination of imported yellow glaze and local glazes mimicking the popular Annan Yaki of Southern China and Vietnam. It is 15.5 x 11 x 7 cm (6 x 4-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Chen Yuanyun (Jap. Chin Genpin) was born in Zhejiang and studied at the Shaolin Temple in Heinan. He traveled to Japan on more than one occasion, the first in 1619. A gifted linguist, he became affiliated with many of the growing literati class in Nagasaki and would later travel to Kyoto and Edo where he became a favorite of the Shogun. He taught Confucian doctrine at the Domain School of Owari province from 1638, and with the fall of the Ming Dynasty shortly after remained in Japan. For more on Chin Genpin (Chen Yuanyun) see Articulating the Sinosphere by Joshua A. Fogel