14. Fûgai Honkô (1779-1847)Sôtô zen (Nanga)
Neko, CatSigned: Migi fuyuyo gūsaku Kôseki Fugai dôjin
Seals: Kôyû
Technique: sumi and brown on papaer 105,5 x 27
Mounting: blue grey damask
wooden rollers, 179 x 39,8
Box: inscribed
Condition: old wormage scarfs and restored tears, otherwise good
永夜沈沈子孫情 / 煙遊獨坐一詩成 / 朗吟笨頭無前軀 / 唯有貓兒瞠眠睛
This is an impromptu verse written during an evening in winter:
Late at night silence reigns, and my thoughts are with the children;
Smoke spirals up and I write a solitary poem,
Its words are dictated by a kitten – a silly little head without a body,
but with bright gleaming eyes. (HK)
When four years old Fûgai began his education at a Buddhist monastery of the Sôtô sect. When he was ten, he decided to become a painter. Around the year 1800 studying Buddhism under Genrô Ôryû (1720-1813) at the Ryûmanji he took the name Honkô. As was common among priests Fûgai traveled widely between 1812-1818, in which he also held a number of posts before settling down. After he had become head priest in 1818, he discovered the work of Ike no Taiga (1723-1776) and in 1826 he announced he would follow Taiga’s approach to painting.
Reference:
Toyota 2008
Addiss'75 # 10-11
Addiss'76 # 27
Addiss'86 # 47
Moog p. 103
Price: EUR 2,250 / USD 2,452