Title: Nomura Bunkyo Shozō Gakō Shasei (Nomura Bunkyo's Collection of Sketches), Circa 1868-1875. Early Meiji Sketchbook by a Japanese Painter of the Shijo School, with 90 Pages of Floral Sketches and Ink Paintings, Many Double Paged Spreads and All in Color
Author: Nomura Bunkyo
Condition: Very Good
An Early Meiji Period, mid to late 19th century manuscript sketchbook entitled Nomura Bunkyo Shozō Gakō Shasei, or Nomura Bunkyo's Collection of Sketches, an original collection of pen and ink sketches and paintings, by the Japanese painter of the Shijo School when he was still relatively younger.
There are 90 pages of numerous sketches and ink paintings of numerous flowers, with many double paged spreads, and all lovingly and painstakingly colored by hand, though a few remain unfinished.
Bunkyo has gone fully into length to provide a rough breakdown of all the flowers depicted via a detailed list on the cover. The Lily Flower to Daffodil, Mountain Cherry and Coltsfoot, Green Willow, Cat Flower, Lotus Flower, White Lotus, White Dianthus, Mountain Bean, Chrysanthemum, Golden White Fern, Evening Primrose, White Swallow, Red Peony, and so, so very much more. This sketchbook is a beautiful collection of Bunkyo’s youthful skills displayed.
His red artist seal is also present.
Nomura Bunkyo (1854-1911) was born in the Shimogyo Ward of Kyoto Prefecture. His father, one Nomura Ubei, ran a kimono shop in Shijo Omiya. At the age of 14 in April 1867, he began studying ukiyo -e under Umekawa Tokyo, but in September 1869, he began studying painting in earnest under Shiokawa Bunrin of the Maruyama-Shijo School. While traveling through 19 provinces in the Kinai (a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō) region, he made detailed sketches and added Western-style realism to the landscape painting techniques he learned from Bunrin. Later moving to Tokyo in 1889, he became a prize-winner at the first Bunten, or Ministry of Education Arts Exhibition, a prestigious and influential annual national arts competition. One of his more notable pupils includes Yamamoto Shunkyo, who painted for Emperor Showa, and later became a professor at the Kyoto College of Fine Arts and one of the founders of the modern Kyoto school.
This manuscript is likely one of the collections of sketches he made while travelling through the 19 provinces in his youth, putting his mixture of skills to the test in producing impressive work while on the go.
One manuscript in quarto, 45 leaves
This manuscript is in very good shape, with some wear and old soiling to the covers. The lower corners of the pages are somewhat worn and soiled, but relatively clean otherwise.