Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (643)

A Gyokusendo hand formed copper vase decorated with dragonflies enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the 1950s. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall, 9 inches (22 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.

A bronze Tanuki dressed in robes and holding a Nyoi (priest scepter) sits yelping into the air, as if surprised at being discovered for his true nature. Dating from the Meiji or possibly Taisho period, it is 10 x 8 x 9-1/2 inches (25 x 21 x 23 cm) and on the base has written in red “4th year” followed by a series of letters to which I have yet to discern a meaning. Likely Meiji 4 (1871).

Ink on paper in a fine brocade border with ivory rollers and enclosed in the original signed double wood box (nijubako). It is 26 x 56 inches (66 x 143 cm) and is in overall fine condition. The rollers will be changed in event it is being shipped overseas.
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Kondo Koichiro (1884-1962) studied at the Tokyo school of Fine Arts and started his career as a Western-style painter. After graduation, he took a position as a cartoonist at the Yomiuri Newspaper for a living. Gradually moving his work towards Japanese-style painting, his works started entering the exhibitions of the Japan Art Institute (Inten) from 1919 until 1936. After he traveled to Europe and China in 1922, he became increasingly aware of being Japanese, which affected his works thereafter. The artist's works are in the collection of the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo among others.

Pastel rooftops march among the green foliage on this iconic mid-century painting by Miwa Chosei in the original frame bearing the artists “Tomo Seal” on back and in a box from Takashimaya Department Store dating from the 1950s titled Ieshima no Ienami (Rows of houses on Ieshima). A similar work was exhibited at the 11th Nitten. Pigment on silk it is in fine condition. The painting is 22 x 23 inches (56 x 58.5 cm). The frame is 30 x 28 x 2 inches (76 x 71 x 5 cm). The label of Takashimauya remains on both the frame and the box. Miwa Chosei (1901-1983) was born in Niigata prefecture, the son of a Western Style (oil) painter. He was sent to Kyoto to study at the age of fourteen, where he would graduate the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts (Mod Kyoto University of Fine Art). He entered the tutelage of Domoto Insho, a progressive and very talented young artist at that time. His work was first accepted into the Teiten (mod Nitten) in 1927, and he would subsequently be awarded there for the first time in 1934. He became the lead student at Insho’s school from its establishment. He was an important member of the progressive movement in the post war years.

A superb elephant shaped incense burner by Miyanaga Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Zo Koro. Extreme clarity in the fine details, I will let the photos speak for themselves. It is 6 x 4 x 6 inches (15 x 10 x 15 cm) and in excellent condition. It comes with a pamphlet dated Showa 16 (1941) the last year of the artists life.
Miyanaga Tozan I (1868-1941) is one of the most important names in Kyoto ceramics. He was born in Ishikawa prefecture, and graduated from the (now) Tokyo University of Art. While a government employee, he represented Japan at Arts Expositions, and studied art in Europe before returning to Japan in 1902 to devote himself to the production of ceramics, with great emphasis on celadon, one of the most difficult of all ceramic wares. He was direct teacher or mentor to a number of prominent artists including Kitaoji Rosanjin and Arakawa Toyozo. His kiln is now in the third generation, run by his grandson.

Two Meiji period Ostrich eggs hollowed and decorated with rich lacquered Maki-e designs of Uminosachi (treasures of the sea) on one, and Royal Crests among scrolling vines on the other. They come in a custom collectors compartmentalized kiri-wood box, one with the original Meiji period stand, the other with a more modern brass wire stand. They are roughly 6 inches tall each (16 cm). The Tai fish has cracks in the thick lacquer, but it is stable, and features a glass eye. More photos availableuponrequest.

Kamikaze, the Divine Wind decimating the Chinese fleet as fearless warriors brave the tempest to drive off the attacking hordes. Uenaka Chokusai, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Pigment on silk in a pale silk border with ivory rollers. 19-1/2 inches x 7 feet (49 x 214 cm) in fine condition.
Uenaka Chokusai was born in Nara (1885-1977), and was enthralled with the arts from a young age. He apprenticed under Fukada Chokujo, and later Hashimoto Gaho. At the age of 23 he was accepted into the Bunten (modern Nitten). Shortly thereafter he became a disciple of the Nichiren Buddhist Orator Tanaka Chigaku. He would then fall under the tutelage of Yamamoto Shunkyo, combining his varied skills into a genre of historical scenery. Along with Hayashi Bunto, Ikeda Keisen and Ueda Manshu would help t establish the Nihon Jiyu Gakkai, a non-jurried exhibition of Free Painters. Work by him is held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo (MOMAT as well as the National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto (MOMAK) among many others.

Otafuku, the embodiment of feminine warmth, smiles softly as she draws her robes up, a large pottery figure by Teishitsu Gigei-In Suwa Sozan I. An identical image with overglaze enamel decorations is visible in the 1929 posthumous exhibition catalog (Copies included). It is over 15 inches (39 cm) tall. There is a chip in the base near the left foot (see pictures).
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would gravitate between Tokyo and Kanazawa, working at various kilns and research facilities. He again relocated, this time to Kyoto in 1900 to manage the Kinkozan Studio before establishing his own. His name became synonymous with celadon and refined porcelain and was one of only five potters to be named Teishitsu Gigei-in. The Teishitsu Gigei-in were members of the Imperial Art Academy, Perhaps in modern terms one might call them the predecessors to the Living National Treasures. However unlike the LNT, there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in, Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter upon his death. He is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.

A large 17th to 18th century Buddhist sculpture of a Rakan (arahat), well sculpted, his naked torso gilded in gold with robes and shoes in black lacquer, carrying a large urn which is an active incense burner. The sculpture is 2 feet (61 cm) tall and in overall fine condition. There are minor losses to the lacquer and gilding typical of age, and a repair to his left foot. Both little fingers are missing from his hands; these could be repaired if desired at additional cost.

Egrets in flight decorate the art-deco influenced shape of this faceted hanging vase by Nakamura Suiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. According to the inside of the box, this was one of three made for submission to the 5th Nihon Bijutsu Tenrankai (Nitten, 1949). An entry in the catalog for that year states that Nakamura Suiko of Ishikawa prefecture exhibited a “Tri faceted Porcelain Hanging Vase Decorated with Egrets”. It is roughly 9 x 10 x 9 inches (23 x 25 x 23 cm) and is in excellent condition, retaining the original silk hanging chords.

A large pair of 19th c. (Edo p) votive Inari Fox images representing the god of fortune. They are 16.5 x 10 x 24 cm (6-1/2 x 4 x 9-1/2 inches). One holds the key to the treasure house in his mouth. One would have been standing over a Buddhist jewel, however that is now missing.
Inari Okami is the Japanese kami of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and Sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants. Represented as male, female, or androgynous, Inari is sometimes seen as a collective of three or five individual kami. Inari appears to have been worshipped since the founding of a shrine at Inari Mountain in 711 AD, although some scholars believe that worship started in the late 5th century.
Worship of Inari spread across Japan in the Edo period, and by the 16th century Inari had become the patron of blacksmiths and the protector of warriors. Inari is a popular figure in both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs in Japan. More than one-third (32,000) of the Shinto shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari. Modern corporations, such as cosmetic company Shiseido, continue to revere Inari as a patron kami, with shrines atop their corporate headquarters.

A double sided accordion album bound in iridescent cloth from the Meiji period containing 57 total pages covered in ancient cloth samples. 18th -19th centuries. The album is 19 x 24 cm (7-1/2 x 10 inches). Generally in good condition but the covers have some wear and damage

Three black rabbits huddle together to form this black-raku Shuro hand warmer enclosed in an old wooden box titled Kuro Mitsu Usuagi Shuro (Black 3 Rabbits Hand Warmer). They are 7 x 5-1/2 x 4 inches (18 x 14 x 10 cm) and in fine condition.

Starting with the famous verse by Chinese Scholar YoYu (AD 53-18) ”The written character is a picture of the heart” (Sho kokoro Ga nari) here are written 42 rules of calligraphy spread over 10 narrow panels by the famous calligraphist Ide Gakei dated 1677. The verses appear to have been written in one sitting, the style going from crisp perfect Kaisho characters through Gyosho stylized characters and into the elegantly running Grass script (Sosho). The way the artist allows his hand to flow ever more freely with each line is captivating when taking in the whole, and creates a dynamic not often found. The calligraphy work is mounted on ten gold panels bordered in black lacquer. The screen is 150 x 19-1/2 inches (382 x 49.5 cm).
The rules of writing reflect the scholar ideas which came from Ming China and the humble nature of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (Sado, the way of tea). A great writer must be a small man, the written hand is a window to the soul, The heart must be right or the verse will not flow etc.
Ide Gakei (b. 1644) was a well known and published calligraphist studied under Sasaki Shizuma and Uchida Teshu. He lived his early life serving the powerful Kaga fief, where his calligraphy became known throughout Japan. He later moved to Kyoto where he passed on his unique style to Suzuki Shosui. Gakei was also known as, Shosui and or another Shosui using alternate characters. Several of his original published books, including Zoku Senjimon and Sosho Enkai, are held in the Waseda University Library

A fetching scene of colored washes very　much in　the Taisho style by important artist Ono (Ohno) Bakufu. Pigment on silk in superb Kinrande mounting. It is roughly 21-1/2 x 79 inches (56 x 200 cm).
Born in Tokyo Ono Bakufu (1888-1976) relocated to central Japan after the great Kanto earthquake of 1923 where he became an honorary member of the Hyogo Prefectural Academy of Fine Arts. Often displayed at the Teiten National Exhibition, he is best known for paintings of fish, which were serialized in 72 woodblock prints from 1937-1942 (Dai Nihon gyorui gashu).

A set of five sencha steeped tea tea cups by the first Suwa Sozan decorated with three seasonal or auspidcious fruits and a poem by famed literatus Tomioka Tessai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Each cup is 2-1/4 x 2 inches (5.7 x 5 cm) and is in fine condition.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would gravitate between Tokyo and Kanazawa, working at various kilns and research facilities. He again relocated, this time to Kyoto in 1900 to manage the Kinkozan Studio before establishing his own. His name became synonymous with celadon and refined porcelain and was one of only five potters to be named Teishitsu Gigei-in. The Teishitsu Gigei-in were members of the Imperial Art Academy, Perhaps in modern terms one might call them the predecessors to the Living National Treasures. However unlike the LNT, there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in, Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter upon his death. He is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.
Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) was a scholar artist trained from age seven in the traditional Confucian manner. After the death of his father he was apprenticed to a Shinto shrine, and later was forced to escape the capitol to Kyushu to avoid arrest for anti-governmental actions he had taken on part of the Imperial cause. Here he began serious study of Literati painting and furthered his scholarly research. Upon returning to Kyoto he was befriended by and moved to work under Otagaki Rengetsu, from whom he was heavily influenced. He helped to establish the Nihon Nanga-In and held a number of important positions, culminating in being appointed the official painter of the Emperor and a member of the Imperial Art Academy; the highest honor in Japanese Art circles. He is represented in innumerable important collections. Information on this important person is readily available, for more see Scholar Painters of Japan by Cahill (1972), Roberts Dictionary, or a quick internet search will find plenty of reading. He is held in the Tokyo National Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Kyoto, V&A etc…

Exceptional Edo p. Japanese Screen, Demon War An exceedingly rare set of four dramatic paintings divided into segments depicting a variety of battle scenes and supernatural phenomena, each heavy pigment on paper canvas mounted on one of four panels of a gold screen bordered in mulberry. The scenes appear to comprise a fragment of the tale of Daikozan (Oeyama), a Kyoto tale where in a powerful demon was lured to drink, then cut to pieces in his stupor. The screen itself is 20th century; however the paintings would date from the mid Edo. On the far right sword bearing men, priests and women run from monsters with giant heads while a cloud roiling with demonic figures bears down on the scene. A tanuki with the head of a woman can also be found here. Below women perform dance on the balcony of a palace for a long nosed tengu attracting a crowd of onlookers. The second panel is divided into four scenes of women reading a hand scroll to the same tengu from the first panel hidden behind a bamboo fence. Below we see him again seated outside a room awaiting audience with divine figures. Below this he is throttling a sword bearing soldier, a ghostly lute player on the left, and a raucous battle on the steps. On panel three the battle rages. Men hack away at each other while a head is presented indoors, and a man and demon appear ready to draw swords over the decapitated corpse. Below gory warfare rages, samurai and demon fighting indiscriminately. In the last scene a flock of birds attack one fellow, while heads topple hither and yon. The paintings were likely originally part of a larger screen, which have been cut down over time from re-mounting. The fantastic screen measures 107 inches by five feet (272 x 153 cm). There is some loss of paint; and the paintings, due to great age, are somewhat delicate.

A striking design rises up the pin-holed surface of this set of Tokkuri with genuine gold repairs about the rim dating from the late 18th to 19th century and enclosed in a period wooden box. They are 2 inches (5 cm) diameter, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) tall.