The Kura
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Sold, thank you!
A large futamono (covered dish) in the shape of a Tai-fish by Ninnami Dohachi enclosed in a triple wood box signed and annotated by renowned potter Miura Chikuken (Chikken). The Tai fish (Red Snapper) is a popular motif and commonly served in celebratory occasions because its name (Tai) is a homophone for Medetai (celebration). The stomach section is removable to reveal a compartment where fish might be served. It is 36.5 x 23 x 20 cm and is in excellent condition. The piece comes wrapped in padded yellow pillows, inside an ancient wooden box to which is affixed a paper reading Ninnami Doachi Sei O-Tai Futamono (Covered Dish of Large Red Snapper by Ninnami Dohachi) ad is annotated by Chikuken. The Secondary box is also annotated by Chikuken, dated 1949. The third box is a black lacquered cover to protect the first two.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others.
The Kura
sold, thank you
sold, thank you
Ame-yu graces the rough textured clay of this large Mingei platter from Aizu in the Northern reaches of Japan on the border between Fukushima and Yamagata. Often mistakenly identified as Tamba due to the similarity in the coloring of this particular glaze, the underlying granular white clay gives it away. About the rim is a ring of fire-colored tendrils trapped in a groove, an interesting added feature. It is 31.5 cm (12-1/2 inches) diameter and dates from the later 19th century. There are some old chips in the rim darkened with age, typical of use for a utilitarian piece like this, otherwise it is in fine condition.
The development of the Aizu Hongo pottery tradition dates back to the Sengoku period (1428-1573), when tiles were locally fired for the roof of Aizuwakamatsu castle. But it was during the Edo period when Lord of the Aizu clan Hoshina Masayuki oversaw the promote and patronize pottery production of what became Aizu Hongo Yaki ware, and it flourished under the supervision of the clan. This subsequently led to the making of everyday pieces of pottery for use by people at large by the closing years of the Shogunete. Fighting during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and a devastating fire in the Taisho period (1912-1926) caused significant disruptions however; the industry recovered and is still thriving today. It has the distinction of being the oldest area where white porcelain is produced in the whole of northeastern Japan.
The development of the Aizu Hongo pottery tradition dates back to the Sengoku period (1428-1573), when tiles were locally fired for the roof of Aizuwakamatsu castle. But it was during the Edo period when Lord of the Aizu clan Hoshina Masayuki oversaw the promote and patronize pottery production of what became Aizu Hongo Yaki ware, and it flourished under the supervision of the clan. This subsequently led to the making of everyday pieces of pottery for use by people at large by the closing years of the Shogunete. Fighting during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and a devastating fire in the Taisho period (1912-1926) caused significant disruptions however; the industry recovered and is still thriving today. It has the distinction of being the oldest area where white porcelain is produced in the whole of northeastern Japan.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
What a fantastic expression worn by this Edo p. Seto Hand warmer (hibachi or properly Shuro/ Te-abure). The dark shiny Seto glaze suits well the beast portrayed. Coals would have been burned inside, heating the surrounding pottery walls, and the piece would have been placed on a step leading into the house for guests to warm their hands on or used within the house in a more formal room. It is 13 inches (33 cm) long and is in fine condition overall. It appears as if when potted the craftsman had allowed for a hole near the top of the opening for storing the hibachi tongs, however had second thoughts and filled that hole with a biscuit before glazing. A hairline stress crack has formed along the left side of that patch of clay; otherwise it is in excellent condition. Rabbits and Daruma are often seen, but the bull is an uncommon theme for this particular implement.
The Kura
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sold, with thanks!
A rare set of five tiny Gosu cups for drinking Gyokuro steaped tea from the Shidehara kiln of Sanda in Hyogo prefecture dating from mid to later 19th century (Late Edo to Meiji). Fish circle the cups as they swim among water plants. Each cup is 2 inches (5 cm) diameter and in great condition.
Shidehara was a kiln established in the Sanda district of Hyogo prefecture in the mid 18th century. They created works based on continental styles of Gosu, Sometsuke, aka-e and later celadon. It is from this kiln that Sanda-yaki was born, to become a major production area for celadons and other pottery styles starting in the late 18th century.
Shidehara was a kiln established in the Sanda district of Hyogo prefecture in the mid 18th century. They created works based on continental styles of Gosu, Sometsuke, aka-e and later celadon. It is from this kiln that Sanda-yaki was born, to become a major production area for celadons and other pottery styles starting in the late 18th century.
The Kura
sold, thank you
sold, thank you
Iyashiku mo tsune areba
hisashi hisashikereba onozu kara yoi kaori wo harau
If you perservere (with proper living), the years will grant you success. This was a famous last line from a treatise written by revered Han Dynasty scholar Cui Yuan (Cui Ziyu, 78–143). These same words were famously written by Kukai (Kobodaishi 774-835) the founder of Shingon escoteric Buddhism in Japan. The calligraphic style appears to be taken directly from the Saishigyoku Zayumei, written by Kukai, owned by the Masuda clan (now with Mt. Koya). Red over black lacquer on wood it is 11 x 69 x 3/4 inches (28 x 176 x 2 cm) and is in overall fine condition, with wear to the lacquer accenting the age. This is called a hashira-kake among other terms. It would have been possibly hung on a post in a temple or in an entrance hall (perhaps a Terakoya or Juku (School) or Confucian or Taoist institution or a public building, a reminder to people entering of some famous verse which would bring them into the correct frame of mind. Much like a scroll in a tea room, or a calligraphy screen in a zen monastery. It is in very good condition for something which has been exposed for centuries. There is enough wear to the lacquer to allow the black through in some places, accentuating the Negoro process, but not too much to be called damage.
The poem, written in 100 characters can be roughly translated to: Don't talk about the shortcomings of others, don't boast about your strengths. Do not gloat your goodnesses and don't forget the grace of others. Praise of the world is not worthy of envy, Choose benevolence as your code of conduct. Act after due consideration. Pay no attention to the ill spoken of you and speak no ill of others. Don't overrate your accomplishments, but consider yourself a fool as the saints did. Do not allow yourself to be sullied by the world. Although the outer surface is dull, maintain your inner light. Lao Tzu once warned that weakness is a manifestation of strength. Strength lies in humility, live simple and your possibilities will grow. The sage must be cautious in diet, drink and desire. Follow Faithfully These Tenets and you will Reap Sweet Scents Throughout your Years.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
For a complete translation with original script please contact me.
hisashi hisashikereba onozu kara yoi kaori wo harau
If you perservere (with proper living), the years will grant you success. This was a famous last line from a treatise written by revered Han Dynasty scholar Cui Yuan (Cui Ziyu, 78–143). These same words were famously written by Kukai (Kobodaishi 774-835) the founder of Shingon escoteric Buddhism in Japan. The calligraphic style appears to be taken directly from the Saishigyoku Zayumei, written by Kukai, owned by the Masuda clan (now with Mt. Koya). Red over black lacquer on wood it is 11 x 69 x 3/4 inches (28 x 176 x 2 cm) and is in overall fine condition, with wear to the lacquer accenting the age. This is called a hashira-kake among other terms. It would have been possibly hung on a post in a temple or in an entrance hall (perhaps a Terakoya or Juku (School) or Confucian or Taoist institution or a public building, a reminder to people entering of some famous verse which would bring them into the correct frame of mind. Much like a scroll in a tea room, or a calligraphy screen in a zen monastery. It is in very good condition for something which has been exposed for centuries. There is enough wear to the lacquer to allow the black through in some places, accentuating the Negoro process, but not too much to be called damage.
The poem, written in 100 characters can be roughly translated to: Don't talk about the shortcomings of others, don't boast about your strengths. Do not gloat your goodnesses and don't forget the grace of others. Praise of the world is not worthy of envy, Choose benevolence as your code of conduct. Act after due consideration. Pay no attention to the ill spoken of you and speak no ill of others. Don't overrate your accomplishments, but consider yourself a fool as the saints did. Do not allow yourself to be sullied by the world. Although the outer surface is dull, maintain your inner light. Lao Tzu once warned that weakness is a manifestation of strength. Strength lies in humility, live simple and your possibilities will grow. The sage must be cautious in diet, drink and desire. Follow Faithfully These Tenets and you will Reap Sweet Scents Throughout your Years.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
For a complete translation with original script please contact me.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
A bronze dragon water spout dating from the late Edo or early Meiji period (mid to later 19th century) in an unusual full body configuration. Most spouts appear climbing over the edge of a basin, and thus only the front of the dragon need be cast. This however writhes across the edge of the basin, the entire body exposed. A pipe extending from the stomach allows the water to be attached. It is 29-1/2 x 11 x 10 inches (75 x 28 x 25 cm). One horn has been repaired and there is some damage where the belly would have touched the stone surface of the water pool typical of age. Dragons are not only the gods of water, therefore a protective deity, but also are considered guardians of Buddhist doctrine, and, like the Buddha mind, are rarely seen in full form.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
As the enlightened man is a product of this world so too the Lotus grows in the mire, a symbol of the attainable state of Nirvana. Here is a breathtaking hand-made bronze Koro in the shape of a blossoming lotus in deep red patination dating from the late Edo to Meiji period (mid to late 19th century). Consisting of 30 individual pieces, each petal is uniquely incised with veins by the hammer and chisel of some long lost craftsman. The base is a large leaf turned upside down, rising on a roundel to the base of the many petaled flower, in the center of which lies the seedpod, into which the incense would have been placed. The outer most petals are highly polished from over a century of handling, and the base is worn, glowing soft gold where it rests on the table. Truly one of the most beautiful Koro we have owned. It stands 4 inches (11 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you
A lovely late Edo to early Meiji period square footed dish decorated with autumn grass and crosshatching in underglaze iron with a charming lacquer repair in one corner featuring a crescent moon expertly rendered. The dish has been formed on a cloth covered pattern; impressions remain visible in the surface through blanks in the thick white glaze. It was made with fluted corners, with 4 pressed on loop feet. The dish was dipped in glaze from one side, then held on edge, allowing the glaze to run in several thick streamlets across the center, finger marks of the artist as he held the dish after dipping still visible as blanks in the white. A very attractive repair has been performed to one corner using three shades of lacquer, creating a golden moon partially obscured but still visible through silver clouds. The piece comes enclosed in an old wooden box, and measures 8 by 10 inches (21 x 25.5 cm).
The Kura
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Sold, with thanks!
Maki-e Cranes soar and a gilded tortoise takes refuge on a rock on this magnificent sake set made of wood covered in lacquer with elaborate maki-e and applied gold designs. About the edge of the stand is a solid silver rim. The scenes are depicted with powdered gold and applied gold kirigane on red and black grounds. This is of the highest quality. The largest cup is about 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter. The cups come in a red lacquered kiri-woood box with a padded silk pillow between each cup, wrapped in a padded silk pouch. The Stand comes in a separate box, inside a custom made silk cover. The stand is roughly 17 cm square, 14 cm tall. Both are in excellent condition.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
Three tough looking toads work together to support the base ring of this unusual leaf-shaped bronze Usubata flower basin enclosed in an antique wooden box. It is signed on the base simply “Oka”. Roughly 11 inches (27 cm) diameter, 8 inches (20 cm) tall.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
A beautifully shaped miniature bell with simulated chord looping through the top, half lifting off to reveal a compartment for storing incense. A ball inside the lower section actually rattles around like a real suzu-bell. This is a very unusual and superbly crafted from from the Mino area of Edo Japan. The inside white clay is darkened with age, and the outside infused with color gathered with time. It is 1-1/4 inches (4 cm) diamater, 2 inches (5 cm) tall and in excellent condition, enclosed in an old wooden box.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
An Edo period sumi-e painting stamped Shundo-no-in on very rough silk depicting Daruma heir Kensu Osho, an eccentric Chinese beggar-monk who lived on shrimp and clams. The painting is certainly no less eccentric than its subject, unique among paintings I have seen from the Edo era. It retains the original faded border of dragon dials and lucky symbols extended with beige and features bone rollers. The scroll measures 14 1/2 x 56 inches (37 x 142 cm) and is in original condition, with some wear to the border extensions. The box is titled:Kensu Osho Ink Painting, From the Ihotei Collection. The Hakogaki refers to the life of Kensu as one who exists unmoored and inscrutable, living freely beyond rules and regulations, and although the behavior of those like him may appear profane, it is actually sacred. The writing could refer to the rare stance of the artist as well, in a society where mediocrity was enforced from above, what artist dared to stray so far from accepted norms? Some eclectic monk himself, seeking to understand the daruma through his own art? A most intriguing work.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
A pale glazed Kyo-yaki ceramic figurine of a rabbit by Takahashi Dohachi III decorated across the back with a poem by the poet-nun Otagaki Rengetsu.
The poem reads:
Usagira ga Rabbits
gamanoho-iro no kegoromo wa Fur robes the color of cattails...
kamiyo nagara ni ki kae zaru ran. Remain un-changed since the age of Gods.
This was crafted by a professional potter, the brushwork by Rengetsu, much crisper than normal thanks to the smooth surface and higher grade materials at teh Dohachi Kiln. Signed on the rump: 77 year old Rengetsu, the figure bearing the stamp of Takahashi Dohachi III on the base. It is roughly 19 x 13 x 19 cm (7-1/2 x 5 x 7-1/2 inches). There is a chip in the tip of the right ear, otherwise is in excellent original condition.
Otagaki Rengetsu was 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.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others. The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the annals of Kyoto ceramics. He was followed by the fourth generation (1845-1897), and his sons Takahashi Dohachi V (1845-1897) who took control of the kiln in 1897 until 1915 when his younger brother Dohachi VI (Kachutei) (1881-1941) continued the business.
Usagira ga Rabbits
gamanoho-iro no kegoromo wa Fur robes the color of cattails...
kamiyo nagara ni ki kae zaru ran. Remain un-changed since the age of Gods.
This was crafted by a professional potter, the brushwork by Rengetsu, much crisper than normal thanks to the smooth surface and higher grade materials at teh Dohachi Kiln. Signed on the rump: 77 year old Rengetsu, the figure bearing the stamp of Takahashi Dohachi III on the base. It is roughly 19 x 13 x 19 cm (7-1/2 x 5 x 7-1/2 inches). There is a chip in the tip of the right ear, otherwise is in excellent original condition.
Otagaki Rengetsu was 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.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others. The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the annals of Kyoto ceramics. He was followed by the fourth generation (1845-1897), and his sons Takahashi Dohachi V (1845-1897) who took control of the kiln in 1897 until 1915 when his younger brother Dohachi VI (Kachutei) (1881-1941) continued the business.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
A wily fox stands, head cocked to one side wrapped in the robes of a nun, something to be wary of this ceramic Okimono by Takahashi Dohachi enclosed in the original wooden box titled outside Dohachi Zo Hakuzoso, and signed within Kachutei Dohachi Zo followed by the artists stamp. It is 8 inches (21 cm) tall and in fine condition. This dates from the later Edo or first half of the Meiji period (mid 19th century), a time spanning two generations of Dohachi when both ceramic sculptures and imagery of the supernatural were both popular.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto.
Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I in Kyoto. He opened a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles, along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. He is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among others.
The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the anals of Kyoto ceramics well into the Meiji period.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto.
Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I in Kyoto. He opened a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles, along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. He is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among others.
The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the anals of Kyoto ceramics well into the Meiji period.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
A massive tiger defensively nudges the female deity on this amazing 19th century silk Fukusa. Hand-painted and composed from patchwork patterns of lavish antique brocades and featuring glass eyes and metal teeth and claws sewn into the fabric of the creature. The piece is backed with red rinzu silk patterned with cranes and plum blossoms. It is 23-1/2 x 25-1/2 inches (59 x 64 cm) and is in fine condition. It comes wrapped around a pillow in a large kiri-wood box.
The Kura
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Sold, Thank you!
Feeling frisky that day, perhaps a wry self portrait by this most famous of Nuns, Otagaki Rengetsu with a poem brushed above in her unique script.
Hito hakaru The trickster
Sagano no harano In the Fields of Sagano
Yufumagure At Twilight
Onoka obana ya Tail in the Pampas grass
Sode to misuran Will it seem a sleeve
There is something very human about this depiction, perhaps the nose…The Hakuzosu (Fox spirit) is a popular theme surrounding the superstition that foxes transform themselves into human form to bewitch the unwary, particularly at twilight. Perhaps the final reference to a sleeve is that of the beguiler, the sleeve of a kimono draped for the seduction of a passing man. Performed with ink on paper in a silk border, the scroll is 10-1/4 x 65-1/2 inches (26 x 166.5 cm) and in overall fine condition. The word obana, written with characters meaning "tail-flower," is classic poetic diction for susuki autumn grass signifying Sagano, a place name often used in poetry as a pun on saga, "one's nature." For a similar image with this poem see the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (Gift of Donald Keene).
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.
Hito hakaru The trickster
Sagano no harano In the Fields of Sagano
Yufumagure At Twilight
Onoka obana ya Tail in the Pampas grass
Sode to misuran Will it seem a sleeve
There is something very human about this depiction, perhaps the nose…The Hakuzosu (Fox spirit) is a popular theme surrounding the superstition that foxes transform themselves into human form to bewitch the unwary, particularly at twilight. Perhaps the final reference to a sleeve is that of the beguiler, the sleeve of a kimono draped for the seduction of a passing man. Performed with ink on paper in a silk border, the scroll is 10-1/4 x 65-1/2 inches (26 x 166.5 cm) and in overall fine condition. The word obana, written with characters meaning "tail-flower," is classic poetic diction for susuki autumn grass signifying Sagano, a place name often used in poetry as a pun on saga, "one's nature." For a similar image with this poem see the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (Gift of Donald Keene).
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.
The Kura
sold, thank you!
sold, thank you!
A skull lies ethereal, only a soft circle before the ghost-like apparition of a grave-marker rising from the boldly stroked dead grasses of some forgotten field. The epitaph above reads:
“Hana no toki mayouta mo” Wavering they did while in full blossom
“Kono Kareno kana” The neglected fields of winter
Here the artist has made a comment on our lives, we blow with the winds here in there, indecisive in our prim, bobbing joyously in the winds, but all come to the same as the flowers fall and winter approaches. Ink on paper in the original paper border with transparent red lacquered wooden rollers. It is 30.5 x 185.5 cm (12 x 73 inches) and is in overall fine, original condition with some discolorations in the upper border. It comes in an old wooden box.
Takeda Motsugai (Fusen, 1795-1867) was a Zen priest of the later Edo to Meiji period born in Iyo Matsuyama (modern Ehime) on the Island of Shikoku. He used a number of names in his lifetime, Fusen was his official Buddhist name, Motsugai may be that for which he is best known, but another common name was Genkotsu Osho (Priest of the bone fist) and Dobutsuan (Place of the mud Buddha). An unruly child, he was sent at the age of five to Ryutai-Ji temple, and at the age of 12 would go to take official position under Kanko Osho at Denpukuji Temple in Hiroshima. He would become an accomplished practitioner of the martial arts there, mastering many styles and weapons. His fame in this department would spread, along with his first nickname, Shio-kara Kozo (Too-salty Bonze), and he would be asked by the Asano Daimyo of Hiroshima to take a position at Kokutaiji temple where the Asano family studied Buddhism. After causing trouble he would leave Hiroshima for Osaka where he would study Confucianism and undergo mendicant training. At the age of 18 he would become an itinerant priest given to wandering the paths and begging for food. In 1819 he would make his debut in Edo (modern Tokyo) where he would enter Kichijo-Ji temple, and two years later be posted to Ruriko-Ji temple in Yamaguchi, and it was here he woud begin writing, returning to Denpuku=ji and his first teacher Kanko-osho the following year. In 1828 he was given the reins of Zaihoji in Onomichi (Hiroshima) and here his fame as a stern teacher would spread, and many would come to learn under his unique ways known as Fusen-ryu. He became a well known writer adept at both Waka and Haiku forms of poetry. He was also known for his skills in flower arranging, Tea Ceremony, and tactical skill in the game of Go. His reputation as both a learned priest, Confucian scholar and martial prowess saw him much traveled and called upon in the troubled period of the 1860s. In 1865 he would be asked to mediate the first Choshu uprising and his application was presented to the emperor showing here the high regard for which his writing had become known. He died enroute from one of his travels in Osaka in 1867.
“Hana no toki mayouta mo” Wavering they did while in full blossom
“Kono Kareno kana” The neglected fields of winter
Here the artist has made a comment on our lives, we blow with the winds here in there, indecisive in our prim, bobbing joyously in the winds, but all come to the same as the flowers fall and winter approaches. Ink on paper in the original paper border with transparent red lacquered wooden rollers. It is 30.5 x 185.5 cm (12 x 73 inches) and is in overall fine, original condition with some discolorations in the upper border. It comes in an old wooden box.
Takeda Motsugai (Fusen, 1795-1867) was a Zen priest of the later Edo to Meiji period born in Iyo Matsuyama (modern Ehime) on the Island of Shikoku. He used a number of names in his lifetime, Fusen was his official Buddhist name, Motsugai may be that for which he is best known, but another common name was Genkotsu Osho (Priest of the bone fist) and Dobutsuan (Place of the mud Buddha). An unruly child, he was sent at the age of five to Ryutai-Ji temple, and at the age of 12 would go to take official position under Kanko Osho at Denpukuji Temple in Hiroshima. He would become an accomplished practitioner of the martial arts there, mastering many styles and weapons. His fame in this department would spread, along with his first nickname, Shio-kara Kozo (Too-salty Bonze), and he would be asked by the Asano Daimyo of Hiroshima to take a position at Kokutaiji temple where the Asano family studied Buddhism. After causing trouble he would leave Hiroshima for Osaka where he would study Confucianism and undergo mendicant training. At the age of 18 he would become an itinerant priest given to wandering the paths and begging for food. In 1819 he would make his debut in Edo (modern Tokyo) where he would enter Kichijo-Ji temple, and two years later be posted to Ruriko-Ji temple in Yamaguchi, and it was here he woud begin writing, returning to Denpuku=ji and his first teacher Kanko-osho the following year. In 1828 he was given the reins of Zaihoji in Onomichi (Hiroshima) and here his fame as a stern teacher would spread, and many would come to learn under his unique ways known as Fusen-ryu. He became a well known writer adept at both Waka and Haiku forms of poetry. He was also known for his skills in flower arranging, Tea Ceremony, and tactical skill in the game of Go. His reputation as both a learned priest, Confucian scholar and martial prowess saw him much traveled and called upon in the troubled period of the 1860s. In 1865 he would be asked to mediate the first Choshu uprising and his application was presented to the emperor showing here the high regard for which his writing had become known. He died enroute from one of his travels in Osaka in 1867.
The Kura
Sold, Thank you!
Sold, Thank you!
Flora in heavy pigment decorate the gold leaves of this two panel Rimpa screen dating from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Tinges of red bring a brush of Autumn to the various grasses and flowers. Heavy veining on the gold as well, evidences the age and brings to vivid life the scene in the fore. The screen has been restored at some time in the distant past with some repairs performed then, and is bordered with patterned blue silk in a natural wood frame. Each panel measures 24-1/2 by 71-1/2 inches (63 x 181 cm) and is in very presentable condition.