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Landscapes and Poem
Work on Paper
-
anonymous...
Name/Title
Landscapes and Poem
Made/Created
Artist
Tano Kanyu
Time Period
17th century
Place
* Untyped Place
Japan
Location
Residence
170 Lake Road, Cornwall CT
Acquisition
Acquisition Method
Purchase
Amount Paid
$1,875.00
![This document is a formal "Antique Certification" from **H. Taniguchi**, a specialized art dealer in Kyoto, Japan, dated **March 31, 1981**.
It provides a high-profile attribution for the painting you have. Here are the key details from the certificate:
## The Artist: Kanō Tan'yū (1602–1674)
The certificate attributes the work to **Tanyu Kano**, who was arguably the most influential Japanese painter of the 17th century.
* **Significance:** He was the head of the prestigious Kanō school and served as the official painter for the Tokugawa Shogunate.
* **Style Connection:** Tan'yū was famous for his "detached" ink style, characterized by a lot of negative space and sparse, elegant brushwork—exactly what is seen in your landscape panels.
## Artwork Description
* **Format:** It is described as a **"Japanese painting 2 fold paper screen"**.
* **Subject:** The note specifies it contains **"designs of the Landscapes and poems"**.
* **Guarantee:** H. Taniguchi explicitly states, *"I guarantee his original and ANTIQUE."* It includes his signature and a red "hanko" (seal) for authenticity.
## Transaction Details
The document also serves as a receipt for the purchase:
* **Price:** The screen itself (referred to as "This one" in blue ink) was sold for **220,000 yen** plus a 13,300 yen packing fee.
* **Total Sale:** The total bill on the left shows a larger amount (593,300 yen) for multiple items, including two other "rolls" (likely hanging scrolls).
* **Payment:** A blue note in the top left corner indicates it was "Paid by Check" on **April 28, 1981**.
###The Image
This image features a traditional Japanese ink painting (*suibokuga*) accompanied by Japanese calligraphy. The text is written in a cursive style known as *sousho*, and it depicts two of the **Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers**, a classic theme in East Asian art.
The calligraphy consists of two separate poems, each corresponding to a specific scene in the landscape.
---
## Right Section: "Evening Glow at a Fishing Village"
The text on the right describes a serene scene of a fishing village as the sun sets.
* **Japanese (Transcription):** 漁村夕照
夕照の
あとのなごりに
入合の
かねにまかせて
帰る舟人
* **Romanization:** *Gyoson Sekishou*
*Yuubae no / ato no nagori ni / iriai no / kane ni makasete / kaeru funabito*
* **Translation:**
**The Evening Glow at the Fishing Village**
In the lingering traces of the sunset's glow,
following the sound of the evening temple bell,
the fishermen turn their boats toward home.
---
## Left Section: "Wild Geese Descending to Sandbar"
The text on the left refers to the sight of geese returning to rest, a common metaphor for peace and return.
* **Japanese (Transcription):**
平沙落雁
さし昇る
月をまたでや
跡たれて
おつるもはやき
をしへののかり
* **Romanization:** *Heisa Rakugan*
*Sashinoboru / tsuki o matade ya / ato tarete / otsuru mo hayaki / oshie no no kari*
* **Translation:**
**Wild Geese Descending to the Flat Sandbar**
Without waiting for the rising moon to appear,
leaving their trails behind,
the wild geese of the teaching [the Dharma]
descend swiftly to the fields.
---
### Artistic Context
* **The Theme:** These "Eight Views" originated in China but became deeply rooted in Japanese Zen culture. They represent specific seasonal and atmospheric moods.
* **The Style:** The calligraphy is integrated into the landscape, with the ink tones of the characters mimicking the misty mountains and distant birds.
## Historical Context: The Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang
The poems in your painting are part of a celebrated tradition known as the **Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers** (*Shoushou Hakkei*). Originally a Chinese poetic and artistic theme from the Song Dynasty, it was imported to Japan and became a staple of Muoto-period Zen monks and later Edo-period artists.
The two scenes depicted here are:
1. **Gyoson Sekishō (Evening Glow at a Fishing Village):** Focuses on the transition from work to rest.
2. **Heisa Rakugan (Wild Geese Descending to Sandbar):** Symbolizes a safe return and the end of a journey.
### The Poetry Style
These are written in **Waka** (31-syllable) format, rather than Chinese verse. This "Japanization" of Chinese themes was very popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. The calligraphy is intentionally ethereal—using "faint ink" (*usuzumi*) to match the atmosphere of the fog and water.
---
### Understanding the Calligraphy
If you look closely at the brushwork, you’ll notice:
* **The Flow:** The characters are written in *Ren'ya-tai* or a similar flowing style where the brush rarely leaves the paper between syllables.
* **The Placement:** The text isn't just a caption; it's part of the composition. On the left, the poem follows the "V" shape of the descending geese, leading your eye down toward the sandbar.
### Potential Origin
Paintings like this were often produced as folding screens (*byōbu*) or sliding doors (*fusuma*). Given the style of the brushwork and the specific waka used, this likely dates to the **Edo Period (17th–19th century)**. The "Eight Views" were a favorite of the **Kano School** of painters, who served the Shogunate and high-ranking samurai.
The attribution to **Kanō Tan’yū** (1602–1674) in your certificate is significant. Tan’yū was the "painter-in-attendance" to the Tokugawa Shogunate and is the artist who defined the aesthetic of the Edo period.
Based on the style of your painting and the historical record of Tan’yū’s work, here is how your piece aligns with his specific techniques:
### 1. The "Ethereal" Ink Wash (*Usuzumi*)
Tan’yū moved away from the bold, heavy lines of his ancestors (like Kanō Eitoku) toward a more "scholarly" and subdued style.
* **In your painting:** Notice how the mountains and mist are not defined by hard outlines, but by soft, layered washes of grey ink. This "faint ink" technique was Tan’yū’s signature way of creating a sense of infinite distance and atmosphere.
### 2. Mastery of Negative Space (*Yohaku*)
Tan’yū was a master of **Yohaku**, the "beauty of empty space." He believed that what was *not* painted was as important as what was.
* **In your painting:** Large portions of the paper are left untouched to represent water and fog. This minimalist approach was intended to invite the viewer to "complete" the landscape in their own mind, a core Zen concept that Tan’yū championed.
### 3. The "Separate-but-Linked" Composition
Tan’yū often worked in triptychs or multi-panel screens where each panel was a self-contained scene but shared a horizon line or atmospheric flow with the others.
* **In your painting:** Even though you have two distinct poems and scenes, the "weight" of the ink is balanced across the panels, creating a singular, cohesive environment.
### 4. Calligraphy as Art
Tan’yū was unique because he often integrated poetry directly into his landscapes—a practice more common in Chinese "literati" painting.
* **The Calligraphy Style:** The script is likely **Sousho** (grass script), characterized by fluid, abbreviated strokes. If this is a genuine Tan’yū, the calligraphy is meant to mimic the movement of the landscape; for example, the characters on the left panel seem to "descend" alongside the wild geese.
---
### Verification Note
The certificate from **H. Taniguchi** (dated 1981) is a strong piece of provenance. Taniguchi was a well-known dealer in Kyoto's famous Teramachi art district. However, because Tan’yū was so famous, his workshop (and later generations of the Kanō school) produced many high-quality versions of his designs.
The price paid in 1981 (**220,000 Yen**, roughly **$1,000 USD** at the time, or about **$3,500** today) suggests the dealer viewed it as an authentic period piece from the 17th or 18th century.](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/11844/a5afccb0-f52d-11ef-9e7d-21fa36ce8ac2-va2ZVNn.lg@2x.jpg)