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Kishi GANTAI (1782-1865)
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An extremely large painting, 55.5 x 32 in; 141 x 81.3 cms, sumi and light colour on silk. Shows a pair of Sika deer, their summer coats spotted and white. Gantai was the son and pupil of Ganku, and together with his brother, Renzan, carried on the Kishi school tradition. With his father, worked on the paintings for the new Kanazawa Castle in 1809. A highly accomplished painter, especially of kachoga. This is possibly the largest Gantai painting and it’s interesting to compare with the gajo by him also offered on this update. In very good condition. Framed and glazed. Signed Chikuzennosuke Gantai hitsu with seals Gantai and Kunchin.
Status: Available
Price: £3,500
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Seki from a Tokaido set published by Maruya Seijiro, 1850-51, hence it is often referred to as the Marusei Tokaido. Also known as the Reisho Tokaido because the title “Tokaido” is written in formal script. Below is the station number 48. Seki was located where the two highways of Tokaido and Ise-ji meet. Seki means “barrier checkpoint.” Figures pass beneath a torii gate on a snowy hillside.
Fine impression and colour. Minor edge soil, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Available
Price: £3,500
Shunkosai HOKUEI (FL. 1829-1837)
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A dramatic diptych showing the actor Iwai Shijaku I as Lady Osuma shining her lantern on the actor Bando Jutaro as Sasaya Hanbei from the play Honobonoto ura no asagiri, “Daybreak Hidden on the Bay by Morning Fog.” A revenge drama performed at the Naka no Shibai, Osaka, 9/1832. Hanbei is an accomplice of the villain in the play, Karahashi Daisuke. The confrontation takes place immediately after he has murdered the fiancée of the play’s hero, Kowari Dennai, by throwing her off a cliff. He makes his escape by throwing shuriken (star-shaped throwing blades) at Osuma.
Very fine impression. This is a de-luxe edition of the first state “surimono-style.” The hand-stamped block cutter’s seal “surimono cut by Kasuke” bottom left of second sheet. A later edition missing seal was published by Iden. Fine colour with burnished pattern on Osuma’s costume and the poem above is written in metallic pigment. Fine condition. Signed Shunkosai Hokuei ga with seal fumoto no yuki.
Status: Available
Price: £1,500
Santo KYODEN (Kitao MASANOBU) (1761-1816)
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A pair of original paintings, full colour on silk, image size 38.5 x 15.5 in; 97.75 x 39.5 cms. Shows a courtesan on the left with a portrait of a novelist on the right. The paintings are signed “By special request” and were presumably commissioned by the novelist showing his paramour. I have not identified the novelist. Masanobu was a pupil of Shigemasa and was one of the leading authors and illustrators of kibyoshi, ehon and kyoka anthologies as well as being a painter and print artist. He illustrated the fine set of double-oban prints of courtesans in 1783-4: Yoshiwara keisai shin bijin awase jihitsu kagami. These painting must come from around this date as the pose of the courtesan is very similar to some of the figures in the above album. A controversial figure who ran foul of the authorities in 1789, subsequently ceasing to use the name Kitao Masanobu and thereafter his paintings are always spontaneous in an abbreviated style, often quite slight and signed Kyoden. Paintings fully finished like this are rare. In generally very good condition, although some loss of gofun. Signed Oju Kyoden Masanobu ga on each painting.
Status: Available
Price: £4,200
Kubo SHUNMAN (1757-1820)
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One of a series of surimono with title: Guncho gafu, “ Pictorial Record of a Swarm of Butterflies.” (In fact butterflies and moths.) Shunman is recognised as possibly the greatest designer of surimono and the prints from this set are amongst the most beautifully printed in this field. His family were printers and this would explain their particular excellence. In fact it is possible that Shunman engraved and printed himself which would account for his seal on other artists’ surimono. Issued c 1810s by the Kasumi-ren poetry club. (Their seal above the signature, top right, Kasumi-ren guncho gafu.) There are copies of the prints from this set which can be very misleading. Two other genuine impressions are in Harvard, 1933.4.1375 and the Met, JP2356.
Very fine impression. Fine colour. Slight discolouration and crinkling at the corners, otherwise good condition. Signed Sho Shunman sei.
Status: Available
Price: £7,200
Utagawa KUNISADA II (1823-1880)
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A triptych showing the fight on the roof of the Horyukaku Tower of Koga Castle beside the Tone River. A popular scene from the complex novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, “The Diary of Eight Dogs” by Takizawa Bakin (1767-1848). The macabre tale revolves around the eight offspring of a supernatural marriage between a princess and her father’s dog and their commitment to restore the fortunes of the samurai house of Satomi. Shows Inuzuka Shino Moritaka defending himself against the chief of police Inukai Kempachi Nobumichi. Published by Tsutaya Kichizo 1854.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Signed Ichijusai and Baichoro Kunisada ga.
Status: Available
Price: £2,300
Ryuryukyo SHINSAI (1764-1820)
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An original painting, sumi and light colour on silk, 32 x 11 in; 81.3 x 28 csms. Shows three classes in Japanese society: Farmer’s wife, Priest and a Samurai, forced to shelter together at the entrance to a Shinto shrine from a sudden downpour of rain. Above, a rooster and hen also shelter. These birds were allowed to roam freely around Shinto Temples. Shinsai was one of Hokusai’s best pupils. Known for his fine surimono and paintings. Signed Ryuryukyo Shinsai with Ryuryukyo seal. In good condition.
Status: Available
Price: £1,800
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Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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The priest Nichiren standing on the rocky promontory at Reizan in Kamakura and having his prayers for rain answered. The event occurred in 1271. His disciples surround him and protect him from the deluge with a large umbrella. Bunei hachi Kamakura Reizan-ga-saki uki. The second best design from Koso [Nichiren] goichidai ryakuza, “Illustrated Abridged Biography of the Founder.” Nichiren (1222-1282) was the founder of the Buddhist Nichiren sect (Nichiren shu – Kuniyoshi being a follower) and indeed the set of ten prints may have been commissioned to mark the 550th anniversary of his death. Published by Iseya Rihei, c 1831.
Fine impression, colour and condition. Ample room on top border for the umbrella which protrudes beyond the border and is often trimmed off, as is the information on right border. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Available
Price: £4,800
Kitagawa FUJIMARO (1790-1850)
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An original painting, full colour on silk, image size 35.25 x 13.5 in; 89.5 x 34.5 cms. Fujimaro was a talented late pupil of Utamaro. More than a dozen paintings are recorded by him including an example in the Portland Art Museum, acc. number 69.51. His best-known work is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum depicting Yujyo risshi-zu and another four paintings of beauties in the four seasons is in the collection of the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, Tokyo. Shows a standing courtesan beside a vase containing peonies and cherry blossom. On her sumptuous costume are the black wheels of a hanaguruma, “flower cart.” These vehicles carried baskets with often elaborate arrangements of flowers. It seems more than coincidence that the vase is placed where the basket would have been on the cart.
Painted c 1820. Signed Fujimaro with seal Yozan. Newly remounted and in fine condition with new box and futo-maki (thick wooden roll to preserve the painting from damage).
Status: Available
Price: £9,500
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