Japanese Screen Painting, Circa 1700 'Tales of Ise' by Tosa Mitsusuke

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

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...

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...

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...

This 18th century folding screen is a stunning example of Japanese artistry. Beautifully painted with delicate brushwork, the evocative sc...

Fantastic 19th century Japanese Edo/Tokugawa period two-panel byobu screen featuring Chinese children frolicking on a garden terrace with a pavilion and large pine tree. Made in the ...

Antique Japanese 6 panel screen from the early Edo period (C1650). One of a pair (both available). This magnificent golden screen shows...

Fascinating pair of large Japanese 19th century Edo period six-panel folding byobu screens depicting the legend of Minamoto No Yorimasa (Japanese Samurai 1106-1180). The pair of pain...