A scholar withers away an afternoon reading in a small cottage lost in a forest of Soft green willow; a brilliant Taisho style scroll by Hirai Baisen (1889-1969). The color of the willows intimates early summer, the leaves fresh and new, a darker haze beyond forms mountains, separating the scene from the rest of time. A quintessential effort typifying the literati ideal of life in seclusion. The entire scene has been brushed as if to insinuate a light shower, rain on a sunny day...

Getzuzan inherited from his renowned father an effortlessness with the brush, shown here in the easy curves of the robe and face of the 12th Century Zen master, Taikobo, and the gentle washes that are used to compose the soft landscape that is the lovely place where he meditates and fishes. Gekko had several students who achieved fame, but he always favored his son. Getsuzan paintings that are available for sale are very rare. 45.5 x18 inches, 115.5 x 45.5 cm, unmounted

A humorous looking dragon twists up the paper canvas, eyes on the prize, a tama or Buddhist jewel underlying a dramatically written inscription. What is extraordinary is that the dragons scaled body is performed with a single stroke of the brush! Over this has been added a shadow for the back, and embellishment of the head. It is signed Fujiki Shuchokusai, and comes enclosed in the original signed and age darkened wooden box...

A fox sits wrapped up like the Daruma, a humorous image by long time head priest of Kenninji Temple Takeda Mokurai (1854-1930) in light ink on paper. The scroll has been fully remounted in dark forest border extended with beige and features black lacquered wooden rollers. It is 18 by 47-1/2 inches (45.5 x 120.5 cm) and in excellent condition. Mokurai began his training as a priest at the age of 7. Developing under a number of masters, he finally settled under Yuzen...

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...

The red walls of a mountain monastery appear between the precipitous crags on this large scale painting by Komura Suiun enclosed in the original signed wooden box c. 1920. The composition escalates, guiding ones vision past the lone occupant of the mountain monastery to the quatrain in the top corner. The mature technique of a master painter; it is performed with ink and light color on silk in a fine silk border with large, solid ivory rollers...

A colorful work by Ueda Manshu (1869-1952) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nangokufushu (Taste of a Southern Wind). A boy rides the back of an Ox through a marsh, he happy and dry and the beast happy in the cool water. One can also be reminded of the Zen tales of the Ox-herd, and connotations of enlightenment. Very much in the Taisho style with equal effort on the background as on the fore...

Steam coils about the petit young woman at the public bath, a fine Taisho era painting signed Ikuho. The color blends into the silk, leaving a soft edge enhancing the sense she is being viewed through the steam and heat of the bath. Pigment on silk, mounted later in green patterned cloth extended with grey and featuring wooden rollers. As pictures of nudes were forbidden, Ikuho is likely a pen-name, possibly taken from Ikuho Street in Northern Kyoto city where the artist may have resided...

A fox and cubs under the crescent moon and falling leaves by Hotta Shuso (b. 1894) in a style representative of the Taisho era. Light color on silk in a pale green silk border with bone rollers. The scroll is 21-1/2 x 86 inches (55 x 219 cm) and in fine condition but for a faint discoloration in border top and bottom.
Hotta Shuso (1894-1954) was born in Nagano prefecture and studied under Ikegami Shuho, settling in Tokyo...

An image of a boy hanging holly, directed by the shrouded figure of a kimono wrapped beauty seen through the doorway, fresh bottles of sake at her feet promising a night of entertainment. Excellent detail in pigment on silk bordered in fine patterned silk with bone rollers and enclosed in a wooden box. The scroll measures 21 x 75 inches (54 x 191 cm) and is in fine condition with a few minor age spots in the lower left edge of the painting...

Jurojin getting an earful; a humorous image by Suzuki Shonen showing the elderly god having his ear cleaned by his companion, the long lived crane. It comes enclosed in a double wooden box annotated by Konishi Fukunen (1887-1959) and bears a label from the Daimaru Department Store. Fukunen was one of Shonens most famous pupils. The ink and light color on paper image is bordered in a superb brocade mounting with solid ivory rollers. It measures 64 x 149 cm (25 x 59 inches) and is in fine cond...

Golden eyes gaze at the full moon rising over dried autumn grass and wilted flowers on this fine scroll signed Shuso (Hotta Shuso). Pigment and light color on silk in a patterned silk mounting with bone rollers. The scroll measures 19 x 78 inches (47.5 x 192.5 cm) and is in overall fine condition.
Hotta Shuso (1894-1954) was born in Nagano prefecture and studied under Ikegami Shuho, settling in Tokyo. One of his best students, Shuso later became leader of Shuho's Denshindo atelier. He ...

A worker makes his way through the autumn tinged hills, home just a few steps away in this brilliant Nanga work by Hashimoto Kansetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box which is in turn enclosed in a red lacquered wooden box (Nijubako). Light color on silk mounted in a superb frame of blue silk with patterned with dragon dials and featuring large ivory rollers. The scroll measures 22 x 85-1/2 inches (58 x 217 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Born into the family of literatus an...

A superb pair of hanging scrolls depicting a group of Japanese beauties set in two seasons, spring and summer. The scroll is mounted in fine damask silk in the san-dan style. Unusual high quality scroll ends with reticulated scrolling vine silver covers. The scroll comes with a box inscribed: Ukiyoe shichiken mitate, which roughly translates to An ukiyoe painting arranged in the seven sages style. Age: Taisho Period Size: Each height 88.5" width 40"

An exotic white inko in a pine tree enclosed in the original red lacquered double signed wooden box (Niju bako). Pigment and ink on silk in a fine brown silk border patterned with Kiri leaves, extended with blue gray and featuring large ivory rollers. It measures 23-1/2 x 80-1/2 inches (60 x 204 cm). There is light foxing, mostly concentrated to the right of the tree. The seals are pubished in the large museum Anthology “Keinen” figures B and D.
Imao Keinen (1845-1924) was born i...

A very rare painting of a skull and scattered bones lost to autumns dead grasses by important 20th century Zen priest Takeda Mokurai. Ink on paper bordered in brown cloth with gray extensions; dark wood rollers. The scroll is 16 by 68 cm (40.5 x 172.5 cm) in fine condition.
Mokurai began his journey down the Buddhist path at the age of 7 under the priest Ryodo. Developing under a number of masters, it was during a sojourn in Hakata he developed a love for poetry and calligraphy, somethi...

Gazing at the back of the traditional Maiko apprentice, pins and combs hold her coiffure perfect, our eyes travel down to the neck revealed as it joins the white painted shoulders, the luxurious kimono with its signature high and draping sash: She has the two of hearts! A very unusual painting reflecting the oddities of western influence at the opening of the 20th century by Matsumoto Ichiyo (1893-1952). It is truly a sketch, very possibly made from life while the young apprentice artist watch...

Japanese antique set of six paintings by Ariwara Rozan depicting different scenes of birds and flowers including cranes and pine, sparrows and peonies, a goose and yellow roses, herons with a little crab and weeping willows with geraniums, white wisteria and more. Beautifully painted in mineral colors and ink on paper. Each painting has a signature and seal. Intended for scrolls. Taisho Period (early 20th century). Size of each painting: 51" high x 21" wide