Colophon by Ekai Daisōzu (1701-1765), written in two sections above the painting:
“In cups of gold the spring brew is hot,
from the earthen brazier comes the scent of tea;
White-bearded old Daoists
face each other over the stones for go.
‘Pleasure within an orange’
for long the firm foundation of Heaven and Earth,
deeply rooted for numberless years.
During the first month of spring of the year 1764 within the Hōreki era, inscribed by Ekai Daisōzu.”
Three seals, accompanying the colophon.
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The following excerpt is taken from the Kaikodo Journal XXIII (Spring 2007) no. 38 entry for this painting (for the complete article, please download the PDF at the end of the detailed images):
According to the Yugui Lu, “A man from Baqiong (Sichuan) had an orchard of orange trees. After a frost the oranges were all harvested. Some were as large as a three-peck basin. The man regarded these with great wonder and then cut them open; within each were two old men, their hair and eyebrows white and their bodies a luminous red. Each was playing chess with another, and they went on talking and laughing as before. One of the old men said: ‘Pleasure within an orange’ is not less than that on Shang Mountain; however, not having deep roots and a firm foundation, (the orange) can be plucked by any fool.” The story became so wide-spread that the expression “pleasure within an orange” came to have a very specific meaning: “When asking a person to play weiqi, one says: ‘Do you want to enjoy pleasure within an orange with me?’” The painting thus illustrates the story with great inventiveness and humor and would have been an ideal gift for any friend of the artist who shared his pleasure in that captivating game. The recipient may in fact have been Ekai Daisozu (1701-1765), who in 1764 inscribed the painting with a poem that describes the scene and suggests that, while orange trees lack deep roots and a firm foundation, weiqi or go itself was eternal.
“Pleasure within an Orange” makes a strong appeal to our imaginations and emotions, conjuring thoughts and feelings that go beyond the objective matter of the painting, and in that sense the work is a perfect manifestation of the literati ideal, brought to us by one of the greatest of their number, Ike Taiga.
Details:
Artist’s signature: “Painted spontaneously by the Pilgrim of Three Peaks (Taiga).”
Colophon by Ekai Daisōzu (1701-1765), written in two sections above the painting:
“In cups of gold the spring brew is hot,
from the earthen brazier comes the scent of tea;
White-bearded old Daoists
face each other over the stones for go.
‘Pleasure within an orange’
for long the firm foundation of Heaven and Earth,
deeply rooted for numberless years.
During the first month of spring of the year 1764 within the Hōreki era, inscribed by Ekai Daisōzu.”
Three seals, accompanying the colophon.
Box Images:
Outer box –
Box end:
中公大雅所載也 大雅堂
“Listed in Taiga dō (“The Complete Works of Ike Taiga”) Chūkō [i.e. published by Chokoransha in 1960].
橘中囲碁 淵黙堂賛
“In an Orange Playing Go. Enmoku dō inscribed.” [Enmoku a byname of Ekai]
明和九年 卅代作「？」 作品集第百七十八番
In the 1st year of the Meiwa era [1764]; in his 30s; in the “Complete Works [of Ike Taiga].” C No 178.
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Inner box –
Inner box lid top inscription:
大雅堂画
“Taiga painted”
Box end:
大雅
“Taiga”
Box end:
– Old label, not clear.
– Newer label:
碁囲裡 [橘] 雅 堂
“In an [orange] playing go. Tai[ga] dō [i.e. “The Complete Works of Ike Taiga”]
—
Inscription inside inner box lid (summary):
Written by (Nan) gaku Keimoku at the exhibition in Yamagata. The inscription is full of compliments while the most important point is that the painting was “inherited generation by generation by the Konoike family in Naniwa (Osaka),” which they owned into modern times. This extremely wealthy merchant dynasty funneled significant funds from its sake brewing, banking, and shipping businesses into the acquisition of art.
*Notation:
The Konoike family (鴻池家) became one of the most prominent merchant dynasties in the Osaka region from the Edo period onward. Distinguished for its sweeping and highly successful businesses and pursuits, it funneled significant funds from its sake brewing, banking, and shipping businesses into the acquisition of art, the holdings representing in large part the interests and sophisticated tastes of the urban elite.
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Red seal on inner cloth wrapper:
水谷清石愛蔵
“Treasured by Mizutani Seiseki”
Both red seals on inner cloth wrapper:
(L)水谷清石愛蔵
“Treasured by Mizutani Seiseki “
(R)清風庵秘蔵品
“Cherished by Seifu-an”
[a collector active in Nagoya in the 1920s]
—
Documents:
Document on right side:
大雅橘中囲碁 浪花鴻池家伝来
慧(恵)海大僧都題賛
宝暦甲申孟春 大雅四十二歳作
明和元年ニ改元 池大雅（三岳道者と号す
“Taiga ‘Playing go in an Orange.’ Formerly owned by the Kǒnoike family, Naniwa (Osaka)
Ekai Daisōzu inscribed his poem.
In the first month of kōshin year (1764) of the Horeki era, Taiga painted when 42 years old.
The name of the era was changed to Meiwa (in that year). Sangaku dosha is an art-name Ike Taiga.”
—
Document on left side:
大雅崋山名作展 四十二歳 出品者
大雅 橘中囲碁図 東京 某氏
鴻池伝来 主催 山形新聞社「株式会社山形新聞社」
昭和二十七年十月廿五、廿六日
Taiga Kazan Meisaku Ten (＂Exhibition of Famous Paintings by Taiga and Kazan＂)
42 years old. Taiga; “Pleasure within an Orange.”
The exhibitor is an unnamed person from Tokyo.
Provenance: Kǒnoike. Sponsored and published by Yamagata Shinbunsha,
the Yamagata Newspaper Corp. Shōwa 27 (1952), 10th month, 27th day.
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The poem by Ekai Daisozu
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Biographical sketch of Ekai Daisozu:
In summary, born the son of the chief priest of Jōen-ji temple, which belongs to the Jōdoshinshu Takada sect, in Suruga (Shizuoka prefecture). Went to Kyoto, studied Avaramsaka philosophy `and other Buddhist disciplines, becoming the scholarly chief of the sect. After living in a sub- temple of Senshu-ji, the main temple of the sect in Ise (Mie prefecture), he returned to Jǒen-ji and where he was head of the priests, preaching to people, training disciples and writing.
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The 1952 Taiga Kazan Meisaku Ten exhibition checklist.