Japanese Six-Fold Screen

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About the Item

JAPANESE SIX-FOLD SCREEN painted in ink with soft red and green wash. Late Muromachi (1392-1573) or Momoyama period (1573-1615). The screen is one of a pair of classical Buddhist landscapes depicting the four seasons, this hanso being of spring and autumn. Literature: The painting is of the Unkoku school, founded by Unkoku Togan (1547-1618) in the Yamagichi prefecture in the late 16th century. Unkoku Togan was initially a servant of the Daimyo Mori Terumoto who ruled a large area of land in Western Japan. In 1593, the Daiymo gave Togan permission to live in a temple called Unkoku-an. This temple had once housed the studio of the important artist and Sōkoku-ji monk, Tōyō Sesshū (1420-1506). Sesshū is considered to be one of the founders of Japanese ink painting (suiboku). Ukoko Togan also became a Zen Buddhist monk and adopted the name Ukoko in honour of the Unkoku-an Temple and its earlier inhabitant Sesshū. Though he never met Sesshū, by moving into the temple, Ukoku Togan succeeded him and continued the tradition of ink painting . He had studied Sesshū's work, even copying and adding an inscription to one large landscape scroll in 1593. He worked mainly in monochrome and often on sliding (fusuma) and folding sc reens (byōbu). The Unkoku School of painters which he founded, flourished until the early-18th century and continued into the 19th century. In the Edo period there were several accomplished artists who worked for Kyoto’s aristocracy and military elite and also the rising merchant class. Folding screens originated in China but were being produced in Japan from the 8th century. They were used as items of furniture rather than works of art in themselves and were made for domestic homes, temples and government buildings. Their primary role was to define space in an otherwise bare, square room and were also used for religious and secular ceremonies. Unlike the sliding doors (fusuma), they were not fixed in one place and could be moved from room to room, wherever they were required. They were therefore made of lightweight materials; a wooden frame covered with paper. Their portability has ensured their survival as they could be easily moved in times of danger. They usually came in pairs while the fusuma were always made in pairs.

Dimensions:
Height: 66.93 in (170 cm)Width: 160.64 in (408 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Ink,Paper
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
c. 1600
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU102481045282