BackNo.51
MARCH 1936
ON THE SCREENS DECORATED WITH PICTURES IN THE SHAPE OF A FAN.
BY KISAKU TANAKA
The writer refers to the history of folding screens deorated with pictures in the shape of a fan, on this occasion of publishing an account of a pair of six-fold screens, which appear to be the oldest specimen of this kind still extant.
The screens in question are decorated with sixty fan-shaped pictures, each of which bears a seal reading "Motohisa."
Motohisa is a painter unrecordes in any old book except for a few lines in the "Koga Biko"; the screens reproduced here are the only remains of his art. Nevertheless, we may safely assume that he was active in the late Ashikaga period, as a follower of Kano Motonobu, for we can easily find in his paintings the manner of this master of the Kano school.
Generally, those screens decorated with fan-shaped pictures are called "semmen chirashi byobu" or simply "ogi byobu" a name which covers a variety of similar items. Sometimes pictures were detatched from fans and pasted on to the gilded screens as in the case of the screes in the Nanzenji monastery. Sometimes fan-shaped pictures were prepared specially for the purpose of decorating the screens as in the case of those reproduced in the present issue. In some cases, shapes of fans, with or without ribs, were painted on gold ground, and in other occasion, figures of waves are added.
Although those screens decorated with fan-shaped pictures are found not rarely, most of them date from the Tokugawa period, and the present screens in the collection of Mr. Hako Irie and the famous screens in the Nanzenji monastery are the only instances known to us which can be dated earlier than the Tokugawa period.
However, a study of old documents reveals that such screens were already in fashion early in the 15th century. Sometimes it occured that they were more esteemed than screens conspicuously decoareted with paintings.
Indeed, the elegant shape of a fan was one of the most favourite patterns of the Japanese. It is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese had a passion for it. From early days they decorated with shapes of fans their clothing, toilet-sets, stationery, etc. And bearing the above fact in mind, we can safely assume that such screens decorated with the sape of fans were appreciated already before the 15th century.
ETCHINGS BY AODO-DENZEN. (II)
BY TEI NISIMURA
Denzen had his own way of preparing his etching ground. He used Japanese lacquer insetead of a mixture of wax and resin such as was used by Shiba Kokan and other etchers of the Tokugawa period.
It is to be noted that lacquer dries slowly, but resists acid persistently, and that the ground thus made with lacquer can be easily ploughed with the burin. These facts explain why Denzen's etchings are neatly executed compared with the works of his contemporary etchers.
The use of lacquer is also convenient for the application of the "shironuki" process. One can paint freely with the brush dipped in lacquer the necessary shapes to be left blank on the ground after the furrow is produced. Danzen adopted this process frequently. The smoke of fire-works and the floral design on the border of his "Nishu Bridge in a Summer Night" (Pl.X, 1) were painted in this way.
Denzen's process of making the etching ground out of lacquer is almost the same as the way mentioned in the "Seiyo Gadan" by Takamori Kanko, who was a student of Europian science. And if we take into consideration the fact Kanto had an acquaintance with Morishima Churyo, a scientist who served Lord Matsudaira Sadanobu, we may imagine a possible relationship between these two processes.
Sometimes Denzen engraved the plate direct with the burin, giving several touchings and retouchings requisite for finishing. No one but Denzen practiced this technique until Iwahashi Noriaki, returning from Vienna, introduced the art anew to the etchers of the Meiji period. Denzen used fine gravers, and among the tools used by him are also various kinds of roulettes and compasses, some of which are said to have been invented by Denzen himself.
It was said that biting was done with a mixture of copper-vitriol and faces of rats loiled down into liquid. However, this seems to be incredible. It is most likely that Denzen owes the formula of his mordant to the account given in a certain Dutch cyclopaedia. (Algemeen Woordenboeck door M. Noel Chomel,Leyden) The mordant mentiond in the Chomel's book is composed of fine vinegar, salt, borax and copper-vitriol.
BIOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF IKE TAIGA. (II)
BY SENZO MORI
Continuing from the last issue, Mr. Mori proceeds with his studies of Ike Taiga. The contents of his studies in the prezent issue are as follow:
9. Gyokuran and her painting; her mother Yuri.--10. Taiga as seen by his disciples Noro Kaiseski and Fukuhara Gogaku.--11. Taiga and Seida Tanso; Mimagawa Kien; the erection of the "Taigado"--12. Some anecdotes about Taiga as related by his friends Murase Kotei, Kagawa Tekien, and Tsusaka Toyo.--13. Taiga and Shibano Ritsuzan, Hosoya Hansai, Kimura Kenkado and Kamei Nanmei.--14. On some forged correspondence of Taiga.--15. Reminiscences of Kenkado are not trustworthy. "Shunren Sekiko" is not the work of Taiga.--16. Conclusion.
PLATES
Pl. I, IV, & XIII-XVII. Taima Mandara Engi.
Painted in Colors on Paper. Mounted as a Scrool.
Size; 48cm. in Height.
In the Pessession of the Komyoji Monastery, Kamakura.
Princess Chujohime, daughter of Lord Fujiwara Toyonari, was a devout Buddhist. In her girlhood she transcribed one thousand scrolls of Buddhist sutras. Later, she become a nun, entered the Taimadera monastery, and prayed ardently that Buddha Amitabha might appear to her in the flesh. Thereupon appeared an aged nun to her and told her that one hundred loads of lotus stem should be prepared if she wished to see the Buddha. The pious princess obeyed her instruction; the loads of lotus stem were orderd from the estate of her father.
The old nun spun threds from the lotus fibres, dipped them into the water of a well which was dug at her request, and, the threds were presently dyed in variegated hues.
Then came a fair maiden, who wove before her a Mandara of Paradise with the threads spun from the lotus fiberes, and flew away riding on a cloud of five colours.
Showing the Mandara to the Princess, the old nun expatiated on the happiness in the Land of Bliss. And she said at last: "The fact is, I am Amitabha, Lord of Western Paradise, and the fair maiden who wove the Mandara was my pupil Avalokitesvara in disguise." Saying thus the old nun flew away emitting golden randiance from her body.
The pious princess died years after. On her death-bed came down Amitabha and Boddhisattvas welcoming her to the Paradise.
This is the story of the so-colled "Taima Mandara" as illustrated in the present scroll paintings.
At the end of the first scroll, Kano Yasunobu writes his opinion about the painter of the picture scroll as follows: "This history of the Mandara mounted on two scrolls is no doubt a genuine work of Tosa Koshogen." But little credence is given to this report. All we can say is that the scrolls were painted in the middle of Kamakura period by a certain painter of the Yamatoe school.
Pl. II & III. Image of Maha Vairocana.
Painted in Colors on silk. Mounted as a Kamemono.
Size: H. 81 cm,. W. 66 cm.
In the Collection of Mr. Kinta Muto, Hyogoken.
Maha Vairocana appearing alone in a circle sitting on a lotus pedstal and taking a pose (mudra) called "chiken-in" is usually designated as "Ichiji Kinrin" and is a supreme manifestation of this deity.
Pictures representing this type of Dainichi would not date back as far as the late Fujiwara period, and the present picture is a work of the Kamakura period. But the delicate patterns of the garment and the minute drawing of the crown, neck-laces, armlets and other personal ornaments remaind us of something in the Buddhist pictures of the Fujiwara period. It is also of note that the geometrical patterns usually seen in the pictures of the Kamakura period are not found in the present picture.