Colophons:
1) by Master Shimada,[1] written on the back of sheet one:
“During the Kansei era (1789-1801), among the furnishings newly arranged for the women’s quarters within the imperial palace were screens based on the flower-and-bird waka poems composed by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241) for the twelve months.”
2) by Master Shimada, written on separate paper:
“Special section, sheets 1 to 4 in the collection of Master Shimada, genuine works from the brush of Maruyama Okyo. During the Kansei era (1789-1801), among the newly-arranged furnishings for the women’s quarters within the imperial palace were zenigata screens [2] based on the flower-and-bird waka poems composed by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241) for the twelve months. These are the draft versions for the Ist-2nd months, the 3rd month, the 8th month, and the 11th month in four sheets of varying sizes, funpon treasured by the Maruyama family with a collection seal reading Okyo zosho in.
3) by Master Shimada, written on separate paper:
“Shimada collection, special section for genuine funpon by Okyo and others, a total of 31 sheets of varying sizes. Painted by Okyo. (Sheets 1, 2, 3, and 4): during the Kansei era (1789-1801), among the newly-arranged furnishings for the women’s quarters within the imperial palace were zenigata screens based on the flower-and-bird waka poems composed by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241) for the twelve months. These are the underdrawings in 4 sheets of varying sizes, once all with the seal reading Maruyama Tosho Yin (‘Painting and calligraphy seal of Maruyama (Okyo)’ but surviving now only on the sheet for the 8th month. (Sheets 5, 6, 7, and 8): four sheets of underdrawings in varying sizes for ‘Cranes and Reeds.’ (Sheet 9): one large sheet of ‘Geese’ drawn from life. (Sheet 10): one sheet with an old woodblock design of the ‘A-fang Palace.’ (Sheet 11): one small sheet with a monochrome painting of a boar. (Sheets 12 and 13): two sheets of ‘Grasses and Flowers,’ one dated to the 2nd day of the 8th month of the 8th year of the Meiwa era (ie. 1771), the other to the 5th month of the first year of the Anei era (ie.1772)….” This colophon continues with descriptions of other funpon in the Shimada collection done by Konoshita Oju (1777-1815), Tanaka Jikka (d.1845), and Yokoyama Seiki (1793-1865).
The records provided by Master Shimada, who owned the cartoons during the 19th century, leave several questions unanswered but they do provide the general context for the creation of these drawings by Okyo. The first four of the present group were clearly designed for use on flower-and-bird screens based on waka poems composed by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241) and intended for use in the women’s quarters in the imperial palace.[3] Since this information appears on the reverse of the first sheet, it is certain that it is to this group of drawings that the record refers. Shimada’s colophon written on a separate piece of paper again mentions four sheets with designs representing the Ist-2nd months, the 3rd month, the 8th month, and the 11th month.[4]
Shimada next identified a group of four sheets of varying sizes portraying “Cranes and Reeds,” and most likely sheets five through seven among the present drawings were part of this group. Since they too are identified by inscription with different months, it is likely that these drawings were also designed for replication on a seasonal screen. The eighth and last drawing among the present group cannot be identified precisely with any of those listed in Shimada’s record but it may have been part of item 12 or 13, sketches of grasses and flowers, with the date cut off for use in another context.
Maruyama Okyo (1733-95) was born in Tanba, the northern part of Kyoto, the second son in a farming family. Unhappy with the possibilities presented by that occupation, Okyo entered a local temple, the Kongo-ji, and then was allowed by his father to seek work in town during his early teenage years. His first job was in a textile and kimono shop. Okyo then worked for Owariya Kanbei, who sold toys and perspective devices introduced from the West. Okyo learned to paint megane-e, which were landscapes and other subjects designed to be viewed through lenses placed in a tube in such a way that startling effects of depth were achieved. From about the age of fourteen Okyo also studied with Ishida Yutei (1721-86) and learned the Kano approach to painting. Okyo’s mature style and the basis for the Maruyama school he founded was thus a combination of Western realism, the Kano style, and a decorative taste akin to that of the Rimpa school.
Okyo’s attitude and approach to painting were recorded by one of his disciples, Oku Bunmei (d.1813): “Observe and sketch the objects, then convey their spirit.” “If objects are not first observed and then sketched, it cannot be called painting.” Okyo’s sketches, used throughout his professional career, constitute an important source of information on his methods of working. Many were collected by the Uematsu family, important among his patrons, and have been handed down by the Kunii family. These include full-size sketches and reduced-size versions—some accompanied by his notes—as well as small memo-sketches made by Okyo’s disciples. The subjects of these sketches include birds, plants, and landscapes, and various brush techniques, such as painting directly with color without boundaries lines, are also illustrated. These sketches could be used by Okyo directly, enabling him to make another painting on the same subject, or more creatively, enabling him to select one section of a sketch for further transformation or to combine elements from several different sketches into a new composition, of which a large sketch would then be made and preserved in the collection.
The present set of eight sheets are very rare examples of full-size cartoons designed for use in creating byobu screens, at least two screens if the above analyses is correct. The drawings are perfect manifestations of Okyo’s dictum “Observe and sketch the objects, then convey their spirit,” for the subjects were obviously studied very carefully be- fore being realized in visual form with their internal spirit in mind. The drawing here is far more lively and spontaneous than that in any of Okyo’s finished works and allows us a privileged glimpse into the working methods of this creative genius.
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1. Master Shimada has not yet been identified but, judging from the dates of the artists who created the funpon he collected, he was most likely active during the later 19th century.
2. Zenigata literally means “coin-shaped,” a term whose meaning is unclear in connection with screens.
3. Shimada notes that all four of the original sheets bore a seal reading Maruyama-shi Tosho but also that that impression survived only on the sheet for the eighth month. There is a sheet for the eighth month included in the present group of drawings but it is considerably smaller than the other three and may have been cut down at some point. Both this sheet and the fourth sheet, for the eleventh and twelfth months, bear a seal reading Maruyama Tosho Yin, “Painting and calligraphy seal of Maruyama (Okyo).” It is possible that Shimada gave not an exact transcription of the seal’s legend but only a general description of a seal used by Master Maruyama on his painting and calligraphy.
4. Shimada here noted that at least one of the four sheets bore a collection seal reading Okyo zosho in, (“Seal of the Maruyama Family”), which does not appear on any of the sheets in the present group of four.
Details:
1) “House under Bamboo; Bird beneath Tree;” inscribed on obverse “first month, one, two”, on reverse “Spring; three sheets (out of the whole).”
114.4 x 124.2 cm. (45 x 48 3/4 in.)
2) “Wisteria;” inscribed “three; third month; four.”
91.5 x 86.9 cm. (36 x 34 1/4 in.)
3) “Distant Birds over River;” inscribed “eighth (month)” “two panels.”
Seal: Maruyama Tosho Yin
(“Painting and calligraphy seal of Maruyama (Okyo)”
77.0 x 63.0 cm. (30 1/4 x 24 3/4 in.)
4) “Ducks on Snowy River;” inscribed “eleven, twelve.”
Seal: Maruyama Tosho Yin (“Painting and calligraphy seal of Maruyama (Okyo)”)
114.4 x 124.2 cm. (45 x 48 7/8 in.)
5) “Three Cranes above Bamboo;” inscribed “one.”
77.0 x 63.0 cm. (30 1/4 x 24 3/4 in.)
6) “Two Cranes above, Two Cranes below Bamboo;” inscribed “six.”
138.0 x 56.0 cm. (54 3/8 x 22 in.)
7) “Eight Cranes by River;” inscribed “seven.”
124.5 x 62.4 cm. (49 x 24 3/87 in.)
8) “Bamboo.”
57.5 x 45.7 cm. (22 5/8 x 18 in.)