Kyoto

Attributed to Kano Tsunenobu (1636-1713) Grapevines Edo period, 2nd half of the 17th century Pair of six-panel Japanese screens; ink, color and gold leaf on paper Dimensions (each): ...

Ono Tosei (1902–?) Late Summer Showa era. Circa 1935 Pair of two-panel Japanese Screens. Ink, gofun and pigment on silk. Dimensions (each screen): H. 176 cm x W. 148 cm (69” x 58”) ...

Okada Yosai (1785–1864) Red and White Plum Blossoms Pair of six-panel Japanese screens. Ink and silver leaf on paper. Dimensions (Each Screen): H. 105.5 cm x W. 270 cm (41.5” x 10...

Tsurusawa Tangei (1687–1769)
 Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons
 Pair of six-panel Japanese screens. Ink, colour and gold leaf on paper. Dimensions (each screen): H. 138 cm × W. ...

Shunga Unknown artist Meiji era, circa 1880 Hand-scroll mounted with 12 paintings Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Dimensions: Each image measures H. 23.2 cm x W. 34.4 cm (9.15” x 13.5”) The hand-scroll measures H. 28 cm x W. 540 cm (11” x 212”) A set of 12 late 19th century Japanese Shunga paintings mounted as a hand-scroll. Two of the leaves bear the signature and seal ‘Setsuzan’, although we are unable to confirm the identity of the artist using this art name. 6 of the 12 images are taken almost directly from Katsukawa Shuncho’s late 18th century woodblock series, ‘Erotic Pictures...

A pair of six-fold Japanese screens from the 17th century depicting a flock of cranes arriving at their wintering grounds. The expansive scene is heavily atmospheric. The cranes are...

Three Friends of Winter Nakajima Raisho (1796-1871) Late Edo period, circa 1850 Ink and gold leaf on paper. This is a double-sided Japanese Furosaki or tea-ceremony screen from the mid 19th century; bamboo and plum on the front, young pines the back. It by Nakajima Raisho, a master painter of the Maruyama school in the late Edo and early Meiji periods. In this work Raisho combines exquisite ink brushwork with large open spaces of brilliant gold-leaf to inspire the viewers imagination. Rather than naturalism, he is searching for the phycological impression of the motifs, resulting in abstraction and stylization. His simplification of the motifs the result of looking to capture the inner nature of the objects. This art motif is known as Sho Chiku Bai, or the Three Friends of Winter. Evergreen pine connotes steadfastness, bamboo suggests both strength and flexibility, while plum blossoms unfurling on snow-laden branches imply hardiness. Combined, this trio is emblematic of Japanese new year. Chinese literati were the first to group the three plants together due to their noble characteristics. Like these resilient plants flowering so beautifully in winter, it was expected of the scholar-gentleman to cultivate a strong character with which he would be able to show the same degree of perseverance and steadfastness even during times of adverse conditions. The screen would have been placed near the hearth of a room used for the Japanese tea ceremony, shielding the fire from draughts and also forming a stimulating and decorative backdrop behind the tea utensils. It would have been used in the Hatsugama, or first tea-ceremony of the new year. Nakajima Raisho (1796-1871) originally studied under Watanabe Nangaku before entering the school of Maruyama Ozui. He was the highest ranking Maruyama school painter at the end of the Edo period and was known as one of the ‘Four Heian Families’ along with Kishi...

Inoue Kanshu (1807-1880) Zenga Tiger and Dragon 19th century Pair of framed Japanese paintings. Ink on silk. Dimensions (each): W. 114 cm x H. 115 cm (45” x 45”) Presented here ...

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...

Signed Unkoku Toyu (1660-1716) Flowers & Birds of Winter and Early Spring A Six-panel Japanese Screen. Ink, color and gold leaf on paper. This later 17th century Japanese screen is signed Unkoku Tōyū (1660–1716), a leading figure of the Unkoku school in the early Edo period. Tōyū was the eldest son of Unkoku Tōji, and he carried forward a lineage that deliberately anchored itself in the authority of Sesshū Tōyō. The mood of the scene is observational and seasonal, not emblematic of power as were many screens from the more wide-spread Kano school. The composition is unified by wind and atmosphere. Everything — bamboo, plum, reeds, water, birds — participates in a single directional force moving from left to right. Unlike certain later screens that flatten elements across the surface, this composition preserves a sense of depth. Yet the recession is moderated by gold clouds and frontal placement of forms. The result is a balanced tension between depth and surface. The compositional structure — with its expansive sweep across the panels — reflects the decorative ambition of Momoyama screen...

Yokoyama Seiki (1792–1864) Reflections of the Moon Six-panel Japanese Screen. Ink, color and gold on paper. Dimensions: H. 63.5 cm x W. 274 cm (25” x 108”) Executed as a six-panel folding screen, this atmospheric composition presents an evocative nocturnal study of moonlight reflected upon a tranquil expanse of water. The moon itself remains unseen, its presence revealed only through elongated bands of pale light that drift across the softly rippling surface, their forms broken and reformed by gently undulating currents rendered in delicate ink line. Subtle washes and fluid brushwork create a refined interplay between luminosity and shadow, conveying the quiet movement of water beneath the night sky. The screen's broad horizontal format emphasizes the vastness of the scene, surrounding the reflected light with expansive areas of open space that evoke the stillness and silence of the night. Particularly notable is Seiki's use of translucent gold washes, which permeate the composition with a soft, radiant glow. Rather than serving a purely decorative function, the gold creates an enveloping atmosphere suggestive of moonlight diffused through mist, while the reflective surface of the screen itself causes the image to shift subtly as ambient light changes. Reduced almost to abstraction and distilled to the essential elements of light, water, and space, the work exemplifies the Shijō school's sensitivity to observed natural phenomena while expressing a distinctly Japanese appreciation for atmosphere, transience, and contemplative space. Yokoyama Seiki (1792–1864) was a leading painter of the Kyoto-based Shijō school during the late Edo period. Born in Kyoto, he studied under Matsumura Keibun (1779–1843), the younger half-brother of Matsumura Goshun, founder of the Shijō school. Following Keibun's death, Seiki emerged as one of the school's most distinguished artists and was ranked among the foremost painters of Kyoto. Together with Nakajima Raishō, Kishi Renzan...

Cherry Blossoms and Autumn Maples Isobe Hyakurin (1836–1906) Dated Meiji 28, April: 1895 Pair of two-panel Japanese screens; ink and pigments on silver leaf This refined pair of scr...

Unkoku Toshuku (1722-1779) Crows and Pines A pair of six-panel Japanese Screens. Ink and gold leaf on paper. Dimensions: Each Screen: H. 170.5 cm x W. 375 cm Haha-cho or mynah birds, whose forms resemble crows in artwork, were commonly depicted in Japanese art. These types of paintings were originally modeled on paintings attributed to the 13th century Chinese painter Muqi (Mokkei), whose art was enormously influential in Japan. Crows only became a theme among Japanese artists from the later 1500s onward. They likely were inspired by these imported Chinese paintings of myna birds, which are not native to Japan, substituting the native species of crow instead.  The best known early examples of the depiction of Japanese crows are two Momoyama screen...

Cherry Blossoms Kano Sanrakuki (1898-1981) Showa period, circa 1930 2-panel Japanese Screen Color, gofun and gold leaf on paper Against a backdrop of gold-leafed ground, the lichen covered trunk and branches of the life-sized cherry blossom tree reach out and beyond the confines of the pictorial surface. The overall composition has a feeling of flatness which draws emphasis to the surface and the three-dimensionality of the cherry blossoms. Painstakingly built-up layers of thickly applied shell-white gofun detail the voluminous blossoms and cover large areas of this tour-de-force of Japanese Nihonga painting. By simplifying the background, minimizing the number of colors and depicting the blossoms with such heavy relief, the artist has emphasized the stunning presence of the cherry tree. The type of tree depicted is the Yae-Zakura; a double-layered type of cherry blossom famed for its beauty and strength. When we think of Japanese cherry blossoms, the first thing that comes to mind is Somei Yoshino variety, which has a single flower with five almost white petals. This type is fragile and easily blown away by strong wind or rain. Most of the double-flowered cherry blossoms begin to bloom when the Somei-Yoshino falls, and the flowering period lasts longer than that of the Somei-Yoshino. Kano Sanrakuki originally studied painting at the Kyoto City Arts and Crafts School under the tutelage of Yamamoto Shunkyo...

Imao Keisho (1902-1993) Pine Trees Early 20th Century, Circa 1930 Pair of six-panel Japanese screens. Ink on silk and gold leaf. Dimensions: Each screen H. 67.5” x 148” (172 cm x 376 cm) A pair of monumental six-panel Japanese pine screens by the renowned Nihonga artist Imao Keisho. Here Keisho entirely removed the background and brought the pine trees to the surface of the painting. This simplification of the elements makes the scene exceptionally direct and compelling and injects a very modern...

Shioka Sorin (1781-1850) Flowers & Birds of the Four Seasons Pair of six-panel Japanese Screens. Ink, gofun and pigments on silk. Dimensions (each screen): H. 91.5cm x W. 285cm (3...

Anonymous Spotted Deer and Autumn Flowers Two-panel Japanese Screen; ink, color, gofun and gold fleck on paper. This two-panel Japanese screen, painted on paper and likely dating ...

Kokuho Shimei (1789–1859) Tigers Pair of framed paintings; ink on paper Kokuho Shimei was active during the late Edo period as a Nagasaki School artist, working at a cultural cross...

Deer under maples Late Taisho period, circa 1925-1930 Pair of two-panel screens. Ink and pigment on silk. Signature: Goho Seal: Goho A pair of two-fold Japanese silk screens...

Books and Scholars’ Accouterments; Chaekgeori Second half of the 19th century Korean framed panel. Ink and color on paper. This Korean Chaekgeori...

A six-panel Japanese folding screen from the leading Maruyama-Shijo artist Okamoto Toyohiko (1773-1845). Simply featuring three deer and a few sprigs of foliage on a sumptuous gold-leaf background this work emphasizes naturalistic expression and a masterful use of negative space. Reduced to its most basic elements, the blank spaces inspire imagination and evoke the smells, sounds and even the weather of the scene. Whilst deer are traditionally depicted in association with autumn, here the green growth on the tops of the foliage indicates the season of spring. The work references Maruyama Okyo’s two-panel deer screen...

Flowers & Birds of Spring and Autumn Unknown artist. Japan. Meiji period, circa 1900. A pair of six-fold screens. Ink, color, gofun and gold leaf on paper. Signed: Gaga S...

A two-fold Japanese screen by the Rimpa school artist Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828), Japan, 19th century, Edo period. This small Japanese folding screen pai...

Kishi Renzan (1804-1859) Tigers Pair of six-panel Japanese screens. Ink and gold-leaf on paper. In this monochromatic pair of six-fold Japanese screens painted on gold-leaf, Kishi Renzan has created a breathtaking composition of a family of tigers. The screens are filled with a sense of drama which is conveyed by both the subject matter and the wet, expressive brushwork. The running mountain stream and the towering waterfall allude to refreshment during the summer months and we feel the tiger families familiarity and security within their environment. Renzan’s master, Kishi Ganku...

"Pine Trees on the Seashore" A set of four sliding doors (Japanese fusuma). Ink, color, gold-leaf and gold-fleck on paper. Dimensions (total display si...

Kokuho Shimei (1789–1859) Tigers Pair of framed paintings; ink on paper Kokuho Shimei was active during the late Edo period as a Nagasaki School artist, working at a cultural cross...

Anonymous Camellia & Bamboo Taisho era Two-panel Japanese Screen. Mineral pigment, gofun and ink on silk. A small Japanese Nihonga screen capturing...

Mori Tetsuzan (1775-1841) Pheasants and Cherry Blossoms Two-fold Japanese screen. Ink, color, gofun, gold and silver on paper. A two-fold Japanese bir...

Anonymous Bamboo Forest Early Taisho era. Circa 1910-1915. Six-panel Japanese Screen. Mineral pigment, gofun and ink on silk. A six-panel Japanese folding screen, painted on silk in...

Kokuho Shimei (1789–1859) Tigers Pair of framed paintings; ink on paper Kokuho Shimei was active during the late Edo period as a Nagasaki School artist, working at a cultural cross...

Maruyama Oshin (1790-1838) Flowers and grasses of the four seasons: dated 1838 Pair of eight-panel Japanese screens; ink, color and gold leaf on silk Dimensions: each (2) H. 38.5 cm...

Anonymous Late 17th century Puppy & Kittens A six-panel Japanese screen. Ink, color, gofun, gold-leaf and gold-fleck on paper. A medium sized late 17th century Japanese screen fe...

Iwase Hirotaka (1808-1877) Koi and Water Plants Hanging scroll, ink, color, gold wash and gold flecks on silk Inscription: Hirotaka Seal: Ille...

The narrative playfulness of the scene depicted on this Japanese screen sets alight what is at its core a celebration of a bountiful harvest. The screen offers a visual representatio...

Anonymous Flowers of the Four Seasons A four-panel Japanese screen. Ink, gofun and pigments on gold leaf. This Japanese screen is a rich visual celebration of the flowers of the fo...

Dimensions (Each screen): H. 176 cm x W. 378 cm (69’’ x 149’’) This pair of Japanese folding screens depict blossoming plum trees amongst young pines. They are designed to capture t...

Birds & Flowers of the Four Seasons Yamamoto Baiitsu (1783-1856) Late Edo period, Dated 1850 A magnificent pair of six-panel Japanese folding screens by Yamamoto Baitsu, representin...

Anonymous Late 17th Century Battle of Ichi-no-tani & Yashima Dimensions: Each Screen: H. 175 cm x W. 385 cm (69” x 151.5”) This pair of Japanese screens depict two significant battles from the Genpei War (1180–85), as recounted in the Tale of the Heike, a semi-historical epic chronicling the conflict between rival clans for control of Japan, written in the early 1200s. Each screen portrays a single battle through a series of small episodes, framed by gold clouds, landscape elements, and architectural features. True to the style of many screens inspired by The Tale of the Heike, the scenes are rendered in lavish colors and gold, downplaying the brutality of the warfare. Although based on real events, these narratives often glorified and romanticized the heroic feats of the warriors. Viewers at the time would have been familiar with the story’s details, leading to a proliferation of paintings on folding screens inspired by this theme from the late Muromachi to the early Edo periods. On the right screen, we see the Minamoto’s attack on the Taira, who have retreated from the capital, Kyoto, toward the sea. The central building represents the temporary Taira headquarters, where Taira soldiers are holding the young Emperor Antoku. The Minamoto plan to launch a surprise attack from the rear after descending the steep cliff known as Ichi-no-tani, depicted at the top center. This scene highlights the tactical brilliance of Minamoto commander Yoshitsune and the courage of his men. The left screen captures moments from the Battle of Yashima...

Birds and flowers of the four seasons Early to mid-19th century Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Unidentified artist Signature: S...

Heron & Plovers Ink and silver leaf on paper Maekawa Bunrei (1837-1917) A pair of low six-panel Japanese screens by Maekawa Bunrei, a later master of the Kyoto based Shijo school of painting. On the right screen a solitary white heron stands motionless in a stream. On the left screen plovers play along a shoreline. The elegant forms are executed employing fluid, minimalistic ink brushstrokes. The soft brushstrokes and the sharp light of the silver leaf lend the scenes a sense of translucence. The sophisticated composition superbly exploits the long, horizontal pictorial surface of the pair of folding screens...

Anonymous. Crows & Persimmon Japanese Scroll. Pigments and Ink on Silk. Dimensions: Scroll: H. 235 cm x W. 106 cm. Image: H. 168 cm x W. 86 cm. Bird and flower paintings are oft...

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...

Ishizaki Koyo (1884-1947) Wagtail & Chrysanthemum Early 20th century Folding screen in two-panels. Ink, pigments and gofun on gold leaf. Sign: Koyo Seal: Koyo This ...

Obata Tosho (1812-1886) Spider & Morning Glory Late Edo period, mid 19th Century Framed Japanese Painting. Ink and color on paper. Individually framed 19th century bird and f...

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

Hawks on plum and pine Soga Nichokuan (active circa 1625-1660) Pair of six-fold screens. Ink, mineral pigments, gofun, gold and speckled gold l...

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

Ogata Tomin (1839 -1895) Birds in a spring landscape Ink and colour on silk. Inscription reads: “Copy of Lu Ji, painted with heartfelt appreciation” “Painted by Tomin Ogat...

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...

Suzuki Shonen (1848-1918) Aged Pine Meiji period (1868-1912). Circa 1900. Two-panel Japanese screen. Ink and gold leaf on paper. This commanding two-panel screen by Suzuki Shōnen...

Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Joseon period. Hanging scroll. Ink on paper. Seal: Shinso Dimensions: Scroll: H. 200 cm x W. 31 cm (79” x 12”) Image: H. 122 cm x W. 29.5 cm (48” x 11.5”) The grapevine came to China and then Korea from western Asia via the silk road trade routes. By the mid-Joseon period, it was one of the most popular subjects for Korean literati painters. Grapevines were painted as a singular subject or, less commonly, in combination with squirrels, which are associated with children due to their playful nature. Together, grapevines and squirrels embody wishes for abundant offspring and wealth. For the Korean literati artist the twisting vines, curling tendrils and round, plump grapes provided ample opportunity for expressive "brush play”. In this painting the artist has abstracted the scene and is seemingly unconcerned with discontinuities and proportion. Vines spring up from nowhere, grapes hang in random clusters and the squirrel’s head appears as if twisted backwards. For the vines and leaves we can feel a sense of speed in the brushstrokes, imparting a dynamic feel which is at once intense and animated. This contrasts dramatically with the countless tiny strokes of ink which realistically capture the texture of the squirrel’s fur...

Amaranth and Rooster Artist unknown Hanging scroll, ink, mineral pigment and gofun on silk. Painting inscription: Tojo ?? Painting seal: Tojo ?? circa 1930 Dimensions: Scroll:...

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...

Nakamura Daizaburo Turtledoves in a Peach Tree Taisho period, circa 1920 Framed painting. Mineral pigments, ink and gofun on silk Signed: Daizaburo Dimensions (framed)...

Unkoku Toyo (1612-1668) View of West Lake Pair of eight-panel Japanese Screens. Ink and gold wash on paper. Dimensions: Each screen: H. 110 cm x W. 372 cm (43” x 147”) This pair ...

Kawabe Kasho (b.1892) Dahlias & Cockscomb Taisho era. Circa 1920 Two-panel Japanese Screen. Mineral pigments and ink on silk. This exquisite two-panel Japanese folding screen, pa...

Spring and Autumn Birds & Flowers Hasegawa Gyokujun (1863-1921) Meiji period, circa 1900. Ink, color and gofun on silk. Dimensions of each screen: H. 172 cm x W. 188 cm (68’’ x 7...

Two framed panels by Yamamoto Shunkyo depicting a carp (koi) leaping from a river. Ink and gold leaf on paper. Instinctively brushed in a freehand s...

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

Obata Tosho (1812-1886) Snail, Wasp & Hollyhock Late Edo period, mid 19th Century Framed Japanese Painting. Ink and color on paper. Individually framed 19th century bird and ...