Francois Morellet Paintings and Screens

19th century mid-Edo period Japanese four-panel miniature screen. Depicting a beautifully painted Chinese blue and green landscape in the Nanga School...

Color on silk, Scroll head: wood Size: Image size: 680(W) x 1600(H) [mm] Scroll mounting: 850(W) x 2300(H) [mm] Box size: 100(W) x 100(H) x 940(D) ​​[mm] 1.8kg A very well-writte...

This work is inspired by the sea and the sky, uses golden leafing as a creative point, framed in paulownia wood originally used for a kimono chest-of-drawers. In this artwork, the aim was to capture the splendor of Japanese nature, showing the sea, sky, and forests. Traditional Japanese culture, represented by the kimono, and wood, an integral element of Japanese craftsmanship, were used to bring this vision to life. I used two pieces of kimono that could no longer be used as clothing and bark that would normally be discarded to create the ultimate upcycled piece. The marriage of Japanese natural materials - silk, paulownia (frame), and pine (branch slices for the center decoration) - and Japanese natural patterns - blue ocean waves and clouds - expresses the magnificent beauty of Japanese nature from various angles. The central golden leaf decoration stands out as a distinctive feature of this work. The piece uses the concept of "kintsugi" - it "unites" the pieces of antique kimono back together with golden leaf to give it a second wind as art work. << Period / Story >> The kimono used in this piece was originally crafted during the late Showa period (1960-80ies). << Explanation and meaning of pattern and colors >> The kimonos on this canvas have been creatively repurposed into interior artwork. The one on the left represents ocean wave pattern. Seigaiha waves is regarded as a pattern of good fortune, embodying wishes for eternal happiness and a tranquil life for future generations. The fabric on the right is embellished with cloud patterns woven in various techniques. Clouds, with their ever-shifting shapes and colors, have long intrigued people as signs of big events or omens. << Characteristics of the fabric >> The kimono used for a part on the left has a lustrous, ivory-colored ground that serves as a backdrop for the vibrant ocean wave pattern expressed through the ground pattern. On the right fabric, the cloud pattern is beautifully rendered by dyeing both the plain fabric and delicate patterns. This is achieved through the so-called "Yose-komon" technique, where each cloud is adorned with small patterns such as hail, sharks skin pattern, and other intricate details. Edo komon, created using a refined and advanced dyeing technique that appears as a solid color from a distance, originated during the Edo period (1603-1868) and remains highly popular as formal kimono attire to this day. << About the frame >> Kiritansu - chest-of-drawers for kimono, is traditionally made from paulownia wood, a uniquely Japanese material closely tied to the world of kimonos. Paulownia wood is known as the lightest wood in Japan, prased for its natural luster, resistance to moisture, and resilience against cracking. Since ancient times, it has been used in crafting furniture, chests, and musical instruments. During the Edo period, it became customary to store cherished kimonos in paulownia chests...

Extraordinary Japanese contemporary two panel "byobu" or folding screen featuring genryoku style handcrafted silk raised kimono Japanese decorative art in Purple, blue, black and ora...

An extraordinary hand painted Tibetan Thangka featuring the greatest compassion Goddess Green Tara. Her round face with large kind eyes, above closed lips, all flanked by long pendul...

School of Ogata Korin White Chrysanthemums 18th Century, Edo period. A two-panel Japanese screen. Ink, color, gofun and gold leaf on paper. Dimensions: H. 171 cm x W. 188 cm (67.5” x 74”) On this two-panel Japanese screen we see blooming chrysanthemums, a flower which embodies the essence of autumn in Japan. Here the traditional floral theme has been simplified and stylized. The bright colors and asymmetrical composition against the delicate gold leaf create a luxurious and ornate work of art. Its background, a strikingly patinated grid of gold leaf, denies any sense of place or time and imbues everything with an ethereal glow. The leaves and stems of the plants are nothing more than pools of mottled color and ink without any outline whatsoever. These are typical Rinpa adaptations of traditional ink painting methods; tarashikomi, or diluted washes of color blended while very wet, and mokkotsu, or “bonelessness,” which creates forms without exterior outlines. The relief work of the rounded flower petals has been obtained by the moriage process (a mixture based on ground shells modeled on the surface of the paper). On the lower right of the screen, the siganture “Hokyo Korin Jakumyo” and the “Hoshuku” seal can be read. Korin is Ogata Korin, famed for the Irises (Nezu Museum) and Red and White Plum Blossom (MOA Museum of Art) folding screens, both National Treasures. Korin worked in both Kyoto and Edo in the mid-Edo period. Korin was using the art name “Jakumyo” just after he received the Hokyo level, which was in 1701. This particular screen was published in May of 1961 in the Japanese Sansai Fine Art Magazine*. An in depth article accompanies the photograph of the screen and and a photograph of the signature and seal. This article devotes much of its body to discussing the moriage technique, how it enlivens the chrysanthemum flowers and Korin’s specific skill in using the technique. The article goes on to discuss the most famous works of Korin, utilizing this technique, which were known at the time. Specifically a two-panel screen held in the Honolulu Museum which was discovered in the store-house of Takahashi Soan. A two-panel screen pair which the Nakano family own. A two-panel screen pair with chrysanthemums in moriage in fan designs owned by the Nomura family. Also a small folding screen featuring chrysanthemums held in the Yamato Bunkakan. The article goes on to say that this particular two-fold screen came from the Nijo family. Korin is known to have had a strong connection with the aristocratic Nijo family. The article explains that Korin received a lot of favors from the Nijo family and that this screen would have been gifted to them. Since that time the Honolulu screen has been amended to ‘attributed to Ogata Korin’ and I do not know further details of the other 3 screens. Other Chrysanthemum screens...

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...

A finely painted portrait of a beautiful young woman attired in traditional wedding costume of the Great Khans. Executed with an almost jewel-like degree of detail & sharpness, signed bottom right and set behind a glass panel within a custom made embossed gilt frame. Canvas dimensions, 24" high x 18" wide. Frame dimensions, 32.5" high x 26.5" wide. Artist Bio: Batjargal Tseyentsogzol...

<< Story behind the work >> Obi fabric I used for this artwork is taken from three different over 100-years-old antique sashes, and is framed in wood taken from antique chest-of-dra...

Title : ICHIMATSU Japan / 2020s Size : W 1480 x H 1480 mm Each part is dyed with indigo to express a checkered pattern that collapses. This quilt is made with Woven fresh linen. Hand-quilted with cotton thread. Hand dyed with indigo. [Blue Tip atelier...

The oil on canvas painting majestically depicts a pair of oranges on a vine with a leaf, together with a cherry adjacent to them. The scene is depicted against a dark ground, however...

Title : Tingi Japan / 2021s Size : W 1500 x H 1080 mm Tingi is a type of Indonesian mangrove and is a dye often used for Indonesian batik. This quilt is made with Woven fresh linen. Hand-quilted with Japanese sashiko...