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60. Hashimoto Kansetsu (1883-1945) & Itô Tôzan II (1871-1937)
Nihonga/Kyôyaki
Kashibashi, bowl for sweets: Ju - Congratulations
Signed: Kansetsu saku
Seals: Tôzan
Technique: square seikaji (sometsuke) porcelain from Kyoto, with cobalt blue and red underglaze decoration   17.0 x 16,8 x 10.7
Box: and chakin sealed signed and authorized by Tôzan III (1901-70)
Condition: fine

The poems by the Tang poet Wang Wei (699–759) read:
盧ろ員外いんがい象しょうと崔処士さいしょし興宗こうそうの林亭りんていに過よる 
Ro ingaishô to Sai shoshi Kôsô no Rintei ni yogiru.

“The deep shadow of green trees stretches out in all directions
In the clear light no dust to be seen on the green moss
Under the high pine, bare headed and with my feet in front of me
I impassively watch the people as if they are from another world.”



独自坐在幽深的竹林里,一边弹着琴一边又长啸。深深的山林中无人知晓,皎洁的月亮从空中映照。
“Amidst the shadowy bamboos I sit alone, 
Playing the zither and howling along
Deep in the forest forever unknown, 
Comes and shines only the bright moon.”

(http://www.musicated.com/syh/tangpoems.htm#WangWei01)

Kansetsu was one of the important painters of the Kyoto branch of the Nihonga movement.

Kansetsu was born in Kobe from a family of artistic background. His father was a painter, poet and scholar of Chinese classics, his mother an amateur painter and his grandfather a famous haiku poet. Because of his father’s reputation Kansetsu's parental home was a meeting point for artists and scholars from China as well as from Japan. After receiving his first training from his father, Kansetsu studied Shijô painting with Kataoka Kôkô (dates unknown). In 1903 he continued his studies with Takeuchi Seihô (# 64), who had just returned from Europe. They never got along really well and finally broke in 1923. From 1913 onwards Kansetsu travelled to China almost every year from 1913. He went to Europe in 1921 and 1927. These trips and his education made him a true bunjin, in the literati tradition.
Kansetsu was a member of the Art Comity of the Imperial household and Imperial Art Academy, and a constant exhibiter at the Bunten.

Reference:
next to a number of monographs
Roberts p. 41
Aburai p. 302 ff.
Conant pp. 293-294 (# 99, 144)
Berry & Morioka ‘99 pp. 224-29 (# 64-65)
Berry & Morioka ‘08 pp. 261-63 (# 13)


Itô Tôzan II was the adopted son of the imperial court artist Itô Tôzan I (1846-1920). Tôzan I was most celebrated for his earthenware ceramics, his son became famous for his porcelain ware, of the same high quality as the work of his father. His pieces are extremely hard to find as one usually sees the work of his son Tôzan III. Together with Shunkyo (# 64), he helped Iwasaki Kenzô in 1919 to reestablish Kagerôen, the kiln for the production of Zeze yaki in Ôtsu.


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