17th Century Japanese Framed Panel by Kano Sansetsu, White Herons in Snow

Kano Sansetsu (1589-1651) Plum blossoms in snow Edo period, circa 1640 Framed painting. Ink on paper. Kano Sansetsu is a Japanese painter who...

Mitani Toshuku (1577-1654) “Falcon” Wall panel, ink and light color on paper. Upper seal: Mitani Lower seal: Toshuku Dimensions: Each 118.5 cm x 51 cm x 2 cm (46.5” x 20” x .75”) Individual falcon paintings by Mitani Toshuku (1577-1654), an early artist of the Unkoku School. Founded by Unkoku Togan (1547–1618), a master of the Momoyama period, the Unkoku school enjoyed long lasting patronage in southern Japan. Togan was a retainer of the Mori family in present day Yamaguchi prefecture. Members of the school considered themselves to be in the artistic lineage of Sesshu Toyo...

Kano Naonobu (1607-1650) Plum Tree and Birds Six-fold Japanese Screen. Ink and slight color on paper. In this evocative ink work spread over a six-panel folding screen, we see the consummation of the elegance and refinement of the Edo Kano school. This 17th century screen is a rare surviving example of a large-scale bird and flower painting by Kano Naonobu, the younger brother of Kano Tanyu...

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...

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

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...

Japanese two-panel screen: Gibbons of Folklore, Edo period (17th century) Kano School painting of gibbons in Japanese fables. The left panel represents a Japanese fable of a monkey a...

Late Edo period 19th century Japanese six-panel landscape screen featuring a cypress tree over a flowering hibiscus with a pair of hototogisu birds. Kano school painted with ink and ...

Antique Japanese Suibokuga Egrets by Kano Tokinobu, 17th century. A sumi-e ink on paper painting illustrating two egrets in reserve with no outlines contrasting with the reeds from the marsh in the background. The painting with 3 vermillion seals of the artist in the lower left corner. Japanese dry mount paper on a wood frame with thin brocade border silver leafed surround and lacquered wood outer frame. Condition: Lighter discoloration on the lower portion of the painting, other minor signs of age, wear, stains and repairs otherwise fine condition. Age: Painting Edo Period, circa 1670. Mounting circa 1985. Image: 51-1/2 in. x 20-1/2 in. (131cm x 52cm) Frame 59-1/4 in. x 25-1/4 in. (150cm x 64cm) Weight: 6 lbs. Provenance: with Honeychurch Antiques...

Antique Japanese Suibokuga Sage Painting by Kano Tokinobu, 17th century. A sumi-e ink on paper painting illustrating an acolyte at a riverbank. The image of the standing Chinese figure with elongated earlobes (a symbol of enlightenment), hair tied back in a kerchief and long beard, holds a large fan in his left hand to his right shoulder. The long robes are windswept with water curls about the figures feet. The painting with 3 vermillion seals of the artist in the lower left corner. Japanese dry mount paper on a wood frame with thin brocade border silver leafed surround and lacquered wood outer frame. Condition: Paper restoration on center, a quarter of an inch of the left edge of the painting is added, other minor signs of age, wear, stains and repairs overall fine condition. Age: Painting Edo Period, circa 1670. Mounting circa 1985. Image: 51-1/2 in. x 20-1/2 in. (131cm x 52cm) Frame: 59-1/4 in. x 25-1/4 in. (150cm x 64cm) Weight: 6lbs. Provenance: with Honeychurch Antiques...

Antique Japanese Suibokuga Landscape by Kano Tokinobu, 17th century. A sumi-e ink on paper painting illustrating a rocky seaside landscape containing buildings, vegetation and ship masts. The painting with 3 vermillion seals of the artist in the lower left corner. Japanese dry mount paper on a wood frame with thin brocade border silver leafed surround and lacquered wood outer frame. Condition: Lighter discoloration near the bottom of the painting, various paper restorations, other minor signs of age, wear, stains, otherwise fine condition. Age: Painting Edo Period, circa 1670. Mounting circa 1985. Image: 51-1/2 in. x 20-1/2 in. (131cm x 52cm) Frame: 59-1/4 in. x 25-1/4 in. (150cm x 64cm) Weight: 6 lbs. Provenance: with Honeychurch Antiques...

Antique Japanese Suibokuga Landscape by Kano Tokinobu. 17th century. A sumi-e ink on paper painting illustrating an ethereal mountainous landscape at the seashore containing buildings, trees, birds and ship masts. 3 vermillion seals of the artist in the lower right hand corner. Japanese dry mount paper on a wood frame with thin brocade border silver leafed surround and lacquered wood outer frame. Condition: Minor signs of age, wear, otherwise fine condition. Age: Painting Edo Period, circa 1670. Mounting circa 1985. Image: 51-1/2 in. x 20-1/2 in. (131cm x 52cm) Frame: 59-1/4 in. x 25-1/4 in. (150cm x 64cm) Weight: 6 lbs. Provenance: with Honeychurch Antiques...