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Neagari Tomiji / Birds of spring
This eye-catching, delicate and beautiful flower and bird painting by Neagari Tomiji depicts a fleeting moment, filled with the bright sunlight of spring.
Konoshima Okoku / Two deer
Okoku has created many animal paintings. His unpretentious compositions show his keen eye for depicting animals as they are in life. At the feet of a deer standing upright, another deer is lying down and relaxing. This imbalance creates a sense of rhythm and interest in the painting.
Hashimoto Gaho / 4 Hanging scrolls of flower and birds four seasons
This is a pair of four scrolls depicting birds in each season. Hashimoto Gaho attempted to innovate Japanese painting under Fenollosa and Okakura Tenshin. The box signed by his disciple Kawai Gyokudo and certification by Terasaki Kogyo.
Watanabe Seitei / Two carps under a waterfall
The composition is reminiscent of Maruyama Okyo's "Green Maple and Waterfall," but Seitei's characteristic dry, taut brushwork is utilized. The carp is painted at about 10% of the ink color of the rocks, but the skill of the brushwork makes it seem as if the carp is peeking out from the water before your eyes.
Ishizaki Koyo / Hazy moon and a egret
Koyo, who was also known as a mountaineer and visited the Himalayas to sketch, created many paintings with gorgeous tropical flowers and birds as subjects. On the other hand, this work depicts a serene space with an egret under a hazy moon, showing the breadth of Koyo's painting ability.
Watanabe Seitei / Two Hanging scrolls of Iris and carps
This is a rare combination of carp and irises. Seitei barely depicts the surface of the water, instead depicting the overlapping carp and aquatic plants from a bird's-eye view, creating a sense of depth and transparency below the water's surface.
Maruyama Okyo / Turtles playing under the setting sun
A mother and her baby turtles playing leisurely together. The Japanese pond turtle is now designated as an endangered species, but it seems that in the Edo period it was kept as a pet. In the past, it may have been possible to see many of them in nearby rivers.
Takeuchi Seiho / Crows fighting in the snow
Three crows fighting violently in the air, searching for food. The vivid brushwork is striking. It was exhibited at the "Takeuchi Seiho:A Destructive and Creative Force" exhibition held at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in 2023.
Nagasawa Rosetsu / Sparrows with wisteria
A sparrow calmly watches from below as the two sparrows above seem to be having fun. At first glance, this is a beautiful painting of a bird and flower called "Sparrows with wisteria," but it is in these details that Rosetsu's playful spirit can be felt.
Kato Eishu / The tiger
Eishu specialized in painting flowers, birds and animals. His brushwork is soft, and you can feel his delicate gaze and warmth towards living creatures. This tiger is no different, and rather than being ferocious, it seems relaxed, as if it is yawning leisurely.
Tokugawa Yoshimune / Two hanging scrolls of Daruma and a little bird
Yoshimune is known as the founder of the Edo Shogunate, but in contrast to his brilliant work, the paintings he created are surprisingly simple and even endearing. The box inscription is by Katsu Kaishu.
Ishikawa Tairo / Two hanging scrolls of Tiger and Dragon
Although this dragon and tiger painting follows the style of the Kano school, the expression of each face shows its originality. The tiger's face seems to express its strong will to win, which is very appealing.
Meiji and Taisho period / Reunion of The Sanzu-no-Kawa (Sanzu River)
This painting depicts a moment of joy with a lover who has crossed the Sanzu River and reunited. It may be the very proof of love that we can recognize each other even when we are bones.
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Asai Ryuto / Tiger howling under a pine tree
Though it is roaring towards the sky, what a troubled expression this tiger has. Contrary to the powerful brushstrokes of the pine trees and rocks, the tiger's body is soft and limp, giving it an almost plush toy-like cuteness.
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Nagasawa Rosetsu / Bamboo and Stone with Turtle
In Rosetsu's works, occasionally exquisite compositions emerge. In one instance, a turtle snugly fits into the foreground's margin, creating a slightly mysterious composition. Rosetsu's approach involves pushing elements into the painting without concern if they might overflow, capturing a sense of freedom from conventional concepts and a joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of painting.
Yamamoto Baiitsu / Pine trees and flowers and birds
In his later years, Baiitsu also worked as an official painter for the Owari domain.This is a painting done at the age of 69, three years before he became an official painter.
Kano Tanshin / Two hanging scrolls of climbing carp
Tanshin, the seventh generation of the Kajibashi Kano school, studied under his ancestor Tan'yu in order to rebuild his family.
Kano Tsunenobu / Two hanging scrolls of Tiger and Dragon
This painting of a dragon and a tiger is inspired by a passage from "I Ching(易経)", which says, "When a dragon sings, clouds arise; when a tiger roars, wind blows."
Kikuchi Hobun / Cherry blossoms and water birds
This painting depicts a peaceful nature scene that evokes the spring weather.
Sou Shizan / The tiger
Sou Shizan, who specialized in flower, bird, and landscape paintings, learned his craft from his father, Shiseki, and was active as a painter of the Nanpin school. While there are many paintings of tigers in the world, such a bold composition is rare, and one can feel the artist's overflowing energy in this work.
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Mori Sosen / Monkeys
This is a work that could only have been created by Sosen, who secluded himself in the mountains and observed the monkeys while living like them.
Watanabe Nangaku / Children playing with rabbits
Although European rabbits were introduced to Japan during the Muromachi period (1336-1573), albino rabbits were first seen in the painting done by Nangaku's teacher, Maruyama Okyo, in 1784 in the Edo period.
Ukita Ikkei / Setting sun and a flock of crows
Ukita Ikkei is also known as Tomioka Tessai's master of Yamato-e painting. This work vividly depicts a flock of crows.
Yamamoto Koitsu / Four seasons, Flowers and Birds, A pair of medium size six-panel folding screens
Yamamoto Koitsu was a central figure in The First Japanese Manufacturing and Trading Company (起立工商会社) and created many drafts for the company's production.