Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Paintings (30)

A pair of hanging scrolls. One depicting a beautiful young woman in a black kimono decorated with open fans; the other depicting a blue demon sitting in a gauze priest’s garment in front of a bronze bell on a stand, holding a hammer in one hand, a rosary in the other. Black ink, colors, gold on silk. Seals in the lower left and right corners: Kason. Seal of Suzuki Kason (1860-1919). Japan, Meiji period. Ivory scroll ends.
Comes with the original wooden box.
Painted areas: ca. 52.9 x 19.5 inches (134.4 x 49.5 cm); total length ca. 89.5 inches (227.3 cm)
Bijin painting with brown spots on lower part, bleeding onto the back. Upper roller of oni painting warped, sporadic brown spot on front, some spots on upper part of back.

Suzuki Kason was a nihonga painter from Edo, studying different types of painting, including ukiyoe style. At the first Bunten Exhibition (a juried art salon, established by the Ministry of Education to stimulate the traditional arts in Japan) in 1907 he received a prize and at the third Bunten Exhibition (1909) he received an honorable mention. He was member of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy. He is above all a fine painter of birds and flowers and landscapes. Woodblock prints with birds by Kason are well known. One of his better known pupils was Ohara Shoson/Koson, who was famous for his paintings and prints of animals, especially birds.

A pair of hanging scrolls depicting the gods of wind and thunder: Futen or Fujin on the left and Raiden or Raijin on the right. Ink and colors on silk. Both signed Soseki saku and each with two seals, one of which reads Soseki as well. Japan. Late Meiji or Taisho era.
Image: H 41 ½ x W 15 ½ in.
Whole: H 69 ½ x W 20 5/8 in.
Each with several horizontal cracks and missing spots lovingly restored and with scratches on the silk surface. All in all in very good and stable condition.
Rare.

A row of begging monks with bowls, hossu and ruyi scepters, emaciated into skeletons. At the end walks a cat skeleton. Black ink and some color on paper. Signed and sealed. Unidentified artist. Japan, early 20th century.
Image 50 ¾ x 19 in. Total length 75 ½ in.
Excellent condition.

Comes with wooden storage box (not inscribed).

Original hanging scroll of a tiger and a dragon, two of the regal powers. Black ink on silk. On the lower right signature with two seals. The upper reading Gan…. Painter from the Kishi family.
Mat and frame

Painted area: 37 1/8 x 13 1/8.
Frame: 19 ¼ x 48 ¾ inches.

Some creases, one tiny hole, generally in good condition.

Hanging scroll. Portrait of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, sitting on a tiger skin before his sword, dressed in a white garment over his armor. Ink, colors, gofun and gold sprinkle on silk. Dated mizunoe ne (1852), early summer. Signed Gyokurei Omoto and two seals.
Image H 45 ½ x W 20 in.; total height: 80 ¼ in.

Comes with fitted kiri-wood storage box inscribed, dated 1852 and signed Ono Gyokurei.

Minamoto no Tsunemoto (894-961) was an imperial prince who received the family name Minamoto. Founder of the family that brought forth Minamoto, Ashikaga and Tokugawa shogun. He was a fine poet, as well.

Ono Gyokurei (1807-1870) was active in the bakumatsu era (end of Edo period). Not in Roberts.

Ebisu sits on a rock, a bamboo stalk in the hand, as if holding a fishing rod, a giant red carp stuck under his arm. Daikoku stands on rice bales and holds his hammer in the hand. Around them a split daikon and the coat and hat of invisibility. On the lower right two seals: Kachutei Ninsei (or Jinsei). Ink and colors on paper (black outlines are hand painted, NOT printed). Painted area 11 ¾ x 18 1/8 inches. Toned, several horizontal creases, some of them backed, few vertical creases restored, few tiny missing areas, overall stable condition. Ivory scroll ends, brocade mounting decorated with treasures.

Although no information on the artist was found, his works do show up from time to time. Stamped with the same seals.

One-sided orihon accordion album with 12 paintings. 10 images of man-woman scenes, one rape scene, one scene with a woman with dildo.
Paintings in black ink, mineral colors (some with gold), and gofun on silk.
The covers are bound in silk brocade, with a small silk sumie painting of a heron on the front cover, by way of a title slip.
Paintings unsigned, but in the style of Tomioka Eisen (1864–1905).
Japan, Meiji era, around 1900.

Album 11.25 x 14.75 inches
Paintings 9.5 x 13.5 inches

Paintings with a few small spots, some wear (rubbing, missing spots) at upper margins of some paintings, but all in all in excellent condition. Covers with some wear around the corners, but all in all in fine condition.

Comes in blue Chinese wrapper in fair condition.

Half portrait of Daruma in bold strokes of gray and black. Lower right signature Isshin hitsu and two seals. Black and gray ink on paper. Painted area 36 ½ x 8 ½ inches. Toned, some horizontal creases, repaired missing area at lower middle. Celluloid scroll ends.

Feel free to ask for more pictures.

Hanging scroll. Hand-painted painting of a snake coiling around a bamboo stalk. Black ink on silk.
Signature on left: Ippo. Red artist’s seal: Keishi.

Japan, early Meiji era.

Image: H 42 ½ x W 15 inches.
Total H 78 inches.

Few brown stains in silk, generally very good condition.

Comes with kiri-wood storage box

From the estate of Ingeborg L. Muller, wife of Robert O. Muller

In the style of the Shijo school painter Mori Ippo (1798 - 1871), but probably not by him.

Framed painting of Shoki standing with a sword in his hand. On his head a large straw hat. Inscription on the upper left side with three red seals. Signature and seal on the lower right side: Kano …Fujiwara Masuyoshi hitsu. Ink on silk. Kano style. Rollers cut of and framed with original mounting.
Painted area: 34 1/8 x 11 ¼. Frame: 54 ¾ x 17 ¼ inches.
Silk darkened with age, stained, undulating, one minor crack, otherwise good condition.

Hanging scroll of mandala with Guanyin sitting on a rock, surrounded by two worshiping deities in front of him and by a guardian figure in the upper left corner. Beneath him the gods of thunder and wind and rain in the clouds. Below these, Chinese figures in a mountainous landscape, occupied by different activities. On top of the painting a printed text. Unfortunately we were not able to identify the mandala and thus the meaning. Ink and color on Chinese paper. 19th century, China.
50 ¼ x 21 inches.
Some missing areas in text, gold somewhat crackled, otherwise good condition. Paper mounting.

Framed painting of a warrior with a drawn sword, holding a severed head in his hand. On his back a flag with the image of a skull. Perhaps one of the heroes of the Taiheiki, such as Endo Giemon Masatada. But between Kuniyoshi and other Utagawa artists, several series of heroes were produced. Unsigned. The style of Utagawa Kuniyoshi or Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Black ink and colors on paper, mounted as a scroll, cut and framed. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

Frame H 49 ½ x W 27 ¼ in. Image H 38 x W 20 in.

Some restored horizontal tears and worm holes.

Small scroll painting of the eccentric Zen priest Ikkyu Sojun dancing on top of the head of a skeleton, who is playing the shamisen. In his hands he holds his staff topped with a skull.
Scene from the story of the Hell Courtesan, as described by Santo Kyoden, the equivalent of memento mori.
Signed and sealed at lower right by the artist.
Ink, mineral colors and gofun on silk.
Japan, early 20th century.

Painting 34 ¼ x 8 in.
Mounting 55 x 11 ½ in.

Mounting a bit dry, causing some horizontal ribs. Otherwise very good condition.

Hanging scroll. Summer scene. Fireflies flying over fast streaming water and resting on a rock and overhanging leaves.
Black ink, light mineral colors and gold wash on silk.
Signed Bunrin; seal Bunrin and seal Shion.

Japan, Meiji era, 1870s.

Image H 49 x W 19.5 in.; total height 76.25 in.

Gold slightly oxidized, otherwise fine condition.

Comes with wooden storage box, inscribed Bunrin hitsu hotaru no zu Shiokawa ...

Shiokawa Bunrin (1808-1877). Shijo painter, Kyoto. Pupil of Okamoto Toyohiko. Learned nanga painting and western style painting. Specialized in landscapes.

A pair of six-panel screens from 1874 signed by Bunrin and dealing with the exact same subject matter and same color scheme, is located in the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, object numbers 74-12/1 and 74-12/2

Hanging scroll. Various insects walking in line with luggage, simulating a lord (daimyo) traveling with his entourage to or from the capital (samurai or daimyo gyoretsu). A butterfly, suzumushi, praying mantises, yellow jackets and grass hoppers are traveling in a line, holding flowers and grasses for keyari, carrying a honeycomb for a palanquin, and berries for luggage.
Black ink and colors on silk.
Signed Bunrei; two red seals reading bun and rei.
Japan, mid 19th / second half 19th century.

Painted area: 14.5 x 20.2 inches. Total height: 46.5 inches.

Painting with some light stains, otherwise in excellent condition, mounting damaged.

Mori Bunrei (Meiji era painter) was the adopted son and pupil of Mori Ippo (1798-1871), the Shijo painter. His style and technique closely follow those of Ippo.
A very similar painting by Nishiyama Hoen (1804-1867) is in the British Museum. This type of painting is typical for the Maruyama/Shijo school and could have originated with Maruyama Okyo. The image of a procession walking out of the painting symbolizes the fading away of Edo culture in the 19th century.

Two erotic shunga drawings in black ink and mineral colors on thin paper.
On the right hand painting a double-sided dildo, to pleasure two women at the same time. The left half is made of tortoise shell (yellow with black patches), the right half is probably indicating buffalo horn.
The left-hand painting shows how to use the dildo properly.

Unsigned.

Japan, 19th century.

Each drawing 9.75 x 9.75 inches. Both drawing fully mounted onto a thicker sheet of paper.

Condition: Left hand drawing with worm holes mostly in the upper margin (unpainted area), but a few inside the circle. Right hand painting with worm holes in lower margin, inside the circle, two other torn and straightened areas. Wrinkles in paper of left-hand drawing.

Very small hand scroll showing five erotic scenes. High quality painting in the style of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

Black ink, colors, gofun, black lacquer on silk. Gold flakes (now oxidized) on the backing paper. Glass or crystal scroll ends.

Japan, Meiji era, 19th century.

L 82.5 x H 2.5 inches

Gold flakes oxidized, otherwise excellent condition.

Hanging scroll. Portrait of probably Sugawara no Michizane, sitting in court dress - a black garment with a long white sash - holding a wooden mace. The black garment, with red liner, is delicately decorated with flowers between waving lines. The sash also decorated with stylized flower shapes.

Tosa style. Signature at bottom: Yuho Issho ga. Red seal: Issho no in.

Colors on silk.

Japan, early 19th century.

Painted area: 23 5/16 x 10 13/16 in. (39.7 x 27.9 cm).
Total length 57 in. (146.5 cm).

Three restored holes in silk (not in image), otherwise very good condition. Mounting fairly modern and in excellent condition. Bone scroll ends.

Comes with a fitting kiribako of a later date.

Sugawara Michizane (845-903) was a Heian period scholar, poet, politician of lower nobility. He was deified as Tenjin-same, god of the sky and storms, later as a god of education/scholarship. The Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine in Kyoto was dedicated to him by the imperial court.