Yanagisawa Kien Asian Art and Furniture

Birds & Flowers of the seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Horses Kano Tanshin Morimasa (1653-1718) Two-panel tea-ceremony Japanese screen or furosaki Ink on gold leaf, late 17th-early 18th century Measures: H 55 cm x W 182 cm The Kano school was closely aligned with the warrior class in Japan. The samurai, who lived in a closed and rigid hierarchical society established by the Shogunate, were drawn to the energy and freedom horses symbolize; Kano school artists commonly depicted the equine creatures as they are here, in unfettered and carefree family groups. China originally introduced horse paintings to Japan; the works typically focused on capturing the essence of horses in their various environments and often involved integrating human figures into the images. Kano Tanshin Morimasa (1653-1718) was the son of Kano Tanyu...

A six-fold Japanese screen by Tosa Mitsusuke (1675-1710), Japan 17th-18th century, Edo period. The signature reads Shoroku-i ge Tosa sa Konoe Shogen Mit...

Birds & Flowers of the Seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Birds & flowers of the seasons Pheasants & plum in snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Illustration to an unidentified chapter of the Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) Tosa School (second half of the 17th Century) Ink, pigment, gofun and...

Cranes Anonymous, Kano School. Edo period, second half of the 17th century. Pair of six-panel screens. Ink, pigment gofun and gold l...

Omori Soun (b. 1704) Chrysanthemums - One Hundred Flowers A Pair of Six-fold Japanese Screens. Ink, color, gofun and gold leaf on paper. Dating ...

Birds & Flowers of the Seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Poppies & Butterflies Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Igarashi Chikusa (1774-1844) Signature: Chikusa Ran Zen Upper Seal: Ran Shuzen Lower Seal: Kyoho Dimensions: Scroll: H. 68” x W. 18” (172cm x 45cm) Image: H. 38.5’’ x W. 12.5’’ (98cm x 32cm) This composition shows elegant images of poppies and the butterflies that are inevitably drawn to them. It captures a momentary glimpse into a world both visually dazzling and startlingly realistic. The painting is infused with sensitivity and attention to seasonal change and weather conditions. The thin and fragile poppies are beautifully depicted with brilliant colors and the butterflies are similarly infused with life. The painting is on silk which requires extremely precise painting skills as no element once painted can be removed. Poppies were a favorite subject of Rinpa school artists through the ages. Originally they were somewhat abstracted but by the age of Sakai Hoitsu...

Kaiho Yusetsu (1598-1677) Tiger and Dragon Early Edo Period, Circa 1650 A Pair of Six-fold Japanese Screens. Ink and slight color on paper. Dimensions: Each screen: H. 171 cm x W. 380 cm (67.5’’ x 149.5’’) In this pair of early Edo period Japanese screens a group of tigers prowl in a bamboo grove whipped with fierce wind, while a dragon claws through clouds and mist. The dragon embodies elemental qualities - looming out of the mist, the coils of its body disappearing in the clouds. The dragon is calling for rain, symbolizing spring which is considered the fountain of life. On the other side, the tigers calls for the wind, symbolizing autumn which is considered the end of life. Tigers were familiar motifs within Japanese art from ancient times though the animals were imaginary to the people in the 17th century. While dragons and tigers are usually associated as sacred and ferocious, in this painting, both animals have rather amusing expressions. The tigers appear to glare at the dragon with cat-like eyes, and the look on the swirling dragon’s face appears almost affectionate - lending a playful flair to an otherwise magnificent theme. The tiger and dragon are cosmological symbols of the balancing forces in the world. Screens such as this were originally meant to express the fluctuating nature of the world. For Japanese in the early Edo period, they likely suggested the powers of the cosmos. In Japan the tiger and dragon motif was originally absorbed into the circles of Zen monasteries before spreading into the secular world. The theme especially appealed to the military classes with the Kano school, the official painters to the Shogun and the samurai, being the leading contributors. The painter of this pair of screens, Kaiho Yusetsu (1598-1677), was closely patronized by the third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. In his later years he worked with Kano school artists...

Birds & Flowers of the Seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature: Chikanobu Seal: Shateki Offered here is an unframed ‘kacho-e’ painting by the 19th century Japanese Takamatsu domain painter Kano Chikanobu. There are 8 individual paintings available, which originally would have been part of a set of 12. ‘Kacho-e’ literally means ‘pictures of birds and flowers’. In reality it covers a wide range of natural motifs including birds, fish, insects and small animals in combination with flowers, grasses or trees. The theme has a long history in Japanese painting. It is one of three painting genres, the other two being landscape and figure, which derive from Chinese academic painting classification. As one of the accepted types of painting to be shown in official residences, scenes of birds, flowers and animals were rife with metaphorical reference as well as physical beauty. In these paintings Chikanobu has made conspicuous use of brilliant pigments and meticulous brushwork. The rocks, water, trees, blossoms, and birds are treated as stylized formal elements in a grand design. All of the components contribute to the patterned effect and tactile richness of the surface. Beyond their highly decorative qualities, the subject of some of the paintings are also an allusion to imperial allegiance; the pheasants are symbolic of bravery and steadfastness, peacocks represent divinity and power, and the phoenix paired with paulownia a just and benevolent ruler. Cranes and turtles symbolize longevity, and the lush, full bloom of the peony flower represents wealth and opulence. Paintings of native Japanese birds and flowers were appreciated primarily for their evocation of the seasons and the traditional poetic emotions associated with them. This is the case with the spring scene of cherry blossoms and birds and the winter scene of narcissus, nandina and sparrows. The rich expression of flower and bird paintings...