BackNo.89
MAY 1939
STUDY ON SCROLL-PAINTING "ASHIBIKI-YE"
BY JIRO UMEZU
In Prince Sadashige Fushimi's Diary called, "Kanbun-gyoki" we find noticeable sentences referring to the scroll-painting "Ashibiki-ye." They are summarized as follows: five volumes of "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls painted in the Ouei period by a court-painter, Takamitsu Awataguchi, had been kept in Eizan Monastery, but in February of the nineth year of Eikyo (1436 A.D.) the text of the fourth volume was taken off to have it written over again by the Emperor Gohanazono. On this occassion, however, the Emperor copied the pictures of five volumes and kept them for himself. Afterwards, in the tenth of Eikyo the Emperor made a complete set of scrolls, adding texts to them: the texts of the first and the fifth scrolls were written by himself and the rest were done by Prince Sadashige and other court-nobles. It is unknown, however, who coloured the pictures except those in the second scroll which were painted by Mochimori.
Thus according to this record, it is clear that at least two complete sets of "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls were produced during the Ouei and Eikyo ages. But none of them are found at present except a few partial copies of the texts, by which we can know what the story of "Ashibiki-ye" was. Fortunately, however, a complete set of "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls has been recently found, and is now possessed by Mr. Ichizo Kobayashi, but it is neither Takamitsu's nor Gohanazono's version: because the texts of the scrolls possessed by Kobayashi seem to have been written by one hand whereas those of the two sets of scrolls mentioned above were done by several hands. Yet, according to the following reasons, Kobayashi's scrolls help us great deal to reconstruct the aspect of the original one: first the set consists of five scrolls as the original set did, and secondly pictures seem to have been copied from the original by tracing, and thirdly the date of production might possively be in the Muromachi period not very far from the time of the original.
The story described in "Ashibiki-ye" is one of the "Chigo-monogataris"-stories of young pages of the temple-describing romantic attachments between a priest in Eizan Monastery, Kyoto and a page in Nara. As the hero of the story is a priest at Eizan, the story was perhaps produced in the same place.
Considering the contents and the style of the story, and the form as scroll-paintings, the scrolls in question must be later but not very late copies of Takamitsu's scrolls which we can assign to the earlier ages of the Muromachi period, and which must have been the oldest achievements among "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls. Takamitsu's other authentic works can be found in the scrolls of "Yuzu-nenbutsu-engi," collection of Seiryoji Temple, and when we compare them with Kobayashi's scrolls here in question, there is certainly some similarity in composition and technique but in aesthetic value the former is incomparably superior to the latter. We may conclude that Kobayashi's scrolls are copies after some versions of Takamitsu's "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls. But as these are the only existing "Ashibiki-ye" scrolls, they are very precious and especially their texts are to be regarded as standard to identify other partial copies in future.
STUDY ON "IKENO TAIGA KAFU" (CHRONOLOGY OF IKENO TAIGA)
BY SENZO MORI
There are many scholars studying the biography oi Ikeno Taiga who was one of the greatest painters of the Bunjingwa-School, and indeed several chronological studies of his life have been recently published. Yet, there are still many unknown points about his biography. Even in the "Chronology of Taiga's Life" contained in Kenkado-zatsuroku which is the unique and original records of his biography, we still find many mistakes. Primarily Taiga Chronology had been written by his intimate friend, Sonsai Kimura, as his mere notes, but when they were compiled in a book, "Kenkado-zatsuroku," some misinformations were mixed together. Moreover, the descriptions are very simple, containing only few incidents in a year or nothing at all for several years.
To compare with such imperfect records in "Kenkado-zatsuroku," the writer of this article introduces here a newly-found document, "Ikeno Taiga Kafu" which was compiled by Sekkyo, adopted son of Sonsai, and is now possessed by Mr. Shigeo Mori in Osaka. Though it is a thin book of about thirty pages including the cover, it is far more detailed than Taiga Chronology and contains many important records. But this document has been handed down as unbound manuscripts containing many wrong words, and some parts are even unintelligible. The writer of this article here publishes only readable parts of it and in comparison with them points out either wrong or missing parts in "Kenkado-zatsuroku." For instance, the informations about the ancestors and native place of the painter are clearly recorded in "Ikeno Taiga Kafu," though there is very little or none at aIl about them in "Kenkado-zatsuroku": according to "Ikeno Taiga Kafu," the time of his marriage with famous Gyokuran becomes definite as being after his mother's death in his thirties, though it is wrongly recorded in "Kenkado-zatsuroku" as when he was twenty-four years old.
Indeed it is an invaluable document which helps us great deal in compiling the correct chronology of Taiga's life. But as there can be still more misinformations in it which must be corrected, it requires our further study.
THE HONCHO-GA-SAN (ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHIES OF JAPANESE PAINTERS). NEWLY COMPILED AND REPRINTED FROM VARIOUS EDITIONS. (PART IV)
The fourth part of the reproduction of the Honcho-Ga-San was originally compiled by Tani Buncho; The six volumes shown here are half the original size. (Cf. the article by Kisaku Tanaka, No. LXXXVI)
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES
Pls. I (Colour) & II Ink-Stone Box: "Hana-no-shirakawa."
Lacquer-work.
Length: 22.7 cm.; width: 20.6 cm.; height: 4.8 cm.
Collection of Mr. Kaichiro Nezu, Tokyo.
Most designs of ancient Japanese Makie in gold on lacquer ground had reference to literature. The present piece is one of these examples and refers to a poem in the Shinkokin Anthology; namely, the poem composed by Asukai Masatsune when his favorite cherry-tree fell down by wind and he planted a new one in its place. A court-noble is standing under falling cherry-blossoms and the characters (hana-no-shirakawa) are written on the trunk in the manner of Ashidegaki which is a technique to write characters in serpentine strokes in the picture itself and mixes the literary meaning of the characters with the pictorial representation.
Both designs and techniques are very elaborate: especially we can find the designer's sensible consideration in leaves of cherry-blossoms which are scattered even inside the box.
The form of the box belongs to that of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods and has some antique grace-fulness. The pictorial designs on it have similarity with Yamatoye paintings in the latter ages of Kamakura. From these two points, the date of production of the box may be considered earlier than the Muromachi period at latest.
It is said to have been a treasured article in the family of Muromachi Shogun, but afterwards it was possessed by Shokado Shojo, a great master in calligraphy and painting of the early Tokugawa period.
Pls. III & IX "Buddha-locani Mandala."
Colour on silk. Kakemono.
Height: 93.9 cm.; width: 82.1 cm.
Collection of Shinagawa-Dera, Tokyo.
Buddha-locani Mandala is a picture of thirty-seven or forty-five heavenly beings placed around Buddha-locani, and it is a principal object of worship when Buddha-locani prayer is offered for accomplishment of wishes in the present and the following worlds. In this picture thirty-seven deities are painted around Buddha-locani. It is a comparatively small kakemono of about a metre square, and is painted minutely in thick colours abundantly using delicate designs drawn in gold-dust. In colour-scheme we find a beautiful variation: especially the large petals of the lotus-flower on each of which a deity is seated, are coloured beautifully in gradation. From heavy colouring and minute technique, we think that it must have been a work later than the middle part of the Kamakura period. It is very precious, being one of the few existing paintings of Buddha-locani. It is said to have been owned by Nanatsudera Temple in Nagoya till sometime ago.
Pls. IV, VII & VIII "Ashibiki-ye."
Colour on paper. Scrolls.
Length: the first scroll, 1304.5 cm.; the second one, 1357.9 cm.;
the third one, 1444.6 cm.; the fourth one, 1244.1 cm.;
the fifth one, 1599.3 cm.;
Height: each, 29 cm.
Collection of Mr. Ichizo Kobayashi, Tokyo.
(See the article by Jiro Umezu.)
Pls. V & X "Landscape."
Slight colour on paper. Kakemono.
Height: 115.3 cm.; width: 36 cm.
Collection of Baron Koyata Iwasaki, Tokyo.
According to the inscription written in the first year of Ounin (1467 A. D.) by Ryuchin, it is clear that the present picture belongs to the latter part of the period of Muromachi when Shubun's school was ruling the art-world. The predominant characteristic of the paintings in this period is found in a sort of systematized compositions and brush-works which became more fixed than in the preceding period. Painted over-carefully with miniature-like brushwork, the present picture was perhaps achieved by some minor artist of the time but, in spite of its too obvious elaboration, it has an inexplicable charm in its daintiness.
Kyuen Ryuchin, the writer of the inscription, had once been in China but after his return he became the chief priest of Nanzenji and Kenninji Temples. He was also famous as a poet in Chinese style.
Pl. VI "Landscape," by Mokubei (Japanese 1767-1883).
Slight colour on paper. Kakemono.
Height: 122 cm.; width: 36 cm.
Collection of Mr. Kinya Nagao, Tokyo.
The famous potter, Mokubei also excelled in painting. As a painter of the Bunjingwa-School his works were very highly appreciated for their rich and deep philosophy which he acquired through his intimate friendship with Sanyo and Chikuden, the two most famous literary men of the time. This landscape is drawn with easy and light touches of the brush, but the poetic atmosphere given through them is very refreshing. A hermit playing koto under a pine tree seems to be Mokubei himself at his leisure.
Sanyo has inscribed a poem on the picture, which we can identify in his anthology but the date of composition is not mentioned clearly. Yet, considering the style of painting and the relationship between Mokubei and Sanyo, we may possively conclude that it is a work achieved in Mokubei's later days. It is really one of the best paintings left by great Mokubei.