Title: An Exemplary Silk Painting Album of Three Kano-School and Associated Artists, Circa 1670-1850. 30 Magnificent Silk Paintings of Vivid Detail and Color, with Heavily Detailed Bird Paintings
Author: Attributed to Kikuta Ishu; Kano Tsunenobu; Li Chun(?)
Condition: Very Good
A beautifully compiled album of silk paintings from three different Japanese artists, comprising of examples from the Early to Late Edo Periods, circa 1670- 1850.
There are 30 extraordinarily produced paintings, all produced with Southern School flair, and showcasing various techniques, with a heavy ink wash emphasis. Of note are the paintings of various birds, their hues and colors strikingly done well, and in great detail.
Each of the paintings are attributed in some way to the artists Kikuta Ishu (1791-1852), Kano Tsunenobu (1636-1713), and one Li Chun.
Kikuta Ishu was a painter from the late Edo period. He learned painting from his father Takeda Chikutei, and was adopted by Kikuta Tou, an official painter of the Sendai domain, whose talent was recognized by him. He later went to Edo and became a disciple of Kano Ikawa-in, where he also had friends with Tani Buncho and others. He is counted among the four great painters of Sendai, along with Azuma Toyo, Koike Magoe, and Sugai Baisen.
Kano Tsunenobu was a painter of the Early Edo Period, and one of the later heads of the Kano School. He was the son of Kano Naonobu, being the second generation of the Kobikicho Kano family. In addition to participating in the production of sliding screen paintings for Edo Castle and the Imperial Palace, he also produced paintings that the shogunate presented to the King of Korea and the King of Chuzan of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Of the artist Li Chun, I feel that I may have mistranslated the artist’s name, as I cannot find anything at all for reference, but it is highly likely that they had some sort of connection to the Kano School as well.
The paintings have been finely bound in album format, with decorated, embroidered covers of brocade, with various birds in flight and clouds.
One silk painting album in orihon format (25.9 x 21.9 cm), 32 leaves
The paintings are in very good shape, but the album covers are largely detached. One painting has a tiny corner tear, and there is minor soiling and spotting throughout, some paintings hardly affected.