Kishi Ganku 岸駒 (1749–1839) – Waterside Tea-house Landscape – 水上茶屋山水

Ganku was one of the rare artists formidable enough to start his own school (Kishi-ha – 岸派) and establish it with such great talent among his sons and students that it lasted with varying levels of prestige from the late 18th, to the 20th century. He started his studies with the Kanō school, but later branched out into the Shijō school, Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings and other styles before developing his own style, his landscapes of which shows that he was also influenced by Ike no Taiga. In 1784, he became a samurai of the Arisugawa clan. Some of his pieces are on view at the Rijksmuseum (this link show a piece similar to ours), The Walters Art Museum, and the Tokyo Fuji Museum. The subject matter of tea and the tea ceremony is inextricably linked to all Japanese artists working in traditional themes. Here, the idea of visiting a tea master is married with an idyllic literati landscape, where the crane moving stealthily through the shallow water is auspicious for longevity, the calm water is a Zen reflection of one’s inner calm, and the lone boater is a Zen reminder of setting aside time to contemplate.

The piece has stains, ageing and toning, but is still very enjoyable and is an excellent example of late-Edo period Kishi school painting. The remounting was expertly done and the textiles chosen brilliantly accentuate the soft, beautifully-rendered pastel-shade mineral pigments. The mounting artisan who removed the damaged honshi (main silk-painted area), knowing that he was working on remounting a real Ganku, cleverly used a fine silk-cotton blend textile with a dragon motif, as an homage to the great master who created a style of painting dragons and tigers that will be admired as long as Japanese art is collected. It undoubtedly pleased the gentleman who had it remounted a couple of decades ago, as dragons are traditionally auspicious for male strength, vigor, virility and achievement. The seals read “Kishi Ku” (his other name – as the character “Gan” 岸, is also read “Kishi”), and then, “Funzen (or, Hizen)” – roughly translated, “decorated in this manner”.

25.5″ x 75″ – $500 – Price includes shipping worldwide! Comes with a signed and sealed document of authenticity. All prices in Canadian dollars.