nanga - bunjin
Matsu no eda, Pine branchesSigned: nanajû (70) Rengetsu sai, Tessai
Seals: Tessai
Technique: sumi on paper 38.5 x 57.2
Date: 1860
Mounting: brown-grey brocade and pink silk fabric 130 x 61.4
Condition: newly mounted, scars of old wormage, otherwise very good
行末の / さちとよはひを / 二葉にて / 千とせをまつや / 久しかるらん
ゆくすゑの / さちとよはひを / ふたはにて / ちとせをまつや / ひさしかるらん
Yukusue no /sachi to yowai wo / futaba ni te / chitose wo matsu ya / hisashikaru ran.
In the tips of pine branches
happiness and long life
sprout as twin needles
promising
a thousand years to come. [Rengetsu # 303]
Rengetsu was born In Kyoto and within a few days after her birth adopted by the Ôtagaki family. In 1798 she moved to Kameoka castle to serve the Matsudaira family. Here she met with the woman pursuits as poetry and calligraphy, but received in training in martial arts as well. In 1807 she returned to her family in Kyoto where she married her adopted brother a young samurai called Mochihisa. In the 8 years of her marriage she gave birth to three children who all died shortly after their birth.
In 1815 she divorced her husband who would shortly die. She remarried but already in 1823 her second husband died. She cut her hair and became a nun and took the name Rengetsu, Lotus moon.
With her daughter from her second marriage and stepfather she moved into a small building on the grounds of the Chion-in. Two years later her daughter died. She started composing waka poetry, but without means for support she moved to Okazaki in the area of Kyoto to produce pottery, studied waka intensively and studied Shijô painting with Matsumura Keibun (1779-1843) fell in love with him and lived together. In Okazaki a place with many artists she intensively trained to study waka. Although being a nun men approached her with advances, but not being interested, she pulled out her teeth to look less attractive and to strengthen her inner self Her pottery became such a big success that she escaped her customers many times and moved more than 30 times in one year even 13 times.
She became friends with Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924) and even tried to adopt him as a son. For the last 25 years of her life he helped and accompanied her. On the invitation of the Abbot Wada Gesshin (Gozan) (1800-1870) she spent her last 10 years of her life in a tea hut the Jinko-in temple and deeply immersed herself in the study of Buddhism and but also continued her artistic occupations.
Reference:
Kodansha 1971
Canberra 2007
Kyoto 2014
Fister '88 pp. 144-159 (# 69-76)
Roberts p. 129
Tessai was born in Kyoto into a family selling robes and accessories for the Buddhist clergy. As a result of a childhood illness he became partly deaf. It was therefore considered improbable that he would ever become a successful shopkeeper. Instead he went to study the Japanese classics in order to become a Shinto priest. He also did Chinese studies, specializing in the teachings of the neo-confucianist Wang Yang-Ming. Later he would study Buddhism, literature and Shingaku, a semi-religious system for self-cultivation.
As a youth Tessai met Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) and became her special protégé. She taught him waka and encouraged his artistic inclinations. Tessai was mainly self-taught, indepently studying Nanga painting and learning from friends. He was, however, strongly influenced by Shinten’ô.
In the final years of the Tokugawa era Tessai was involved in the pro-imperialist movement. For fear of being arrested he left Kyoto in 1861 and travelled to Nagasaki. It was the first of many trips; Tessai became and avid traveller. In 1882 he settled in Kyoto where he spent the rest of his life. Although he worked as a priest at several Shinto shrines, he saw painting as his chief occupation. Between 1894 and 1904 he was a teacher at the Kyoto Prefectural Art School and he was a regular contributor to exhibitions of the Nanga Society. In 1917 he was appointed Artist to the Imperial Household and towards the end of his life he received an honorary court-rank. Tessai is often seen as the last great exponent of the Nanga school.
Reference:
Kanazawa
Aichi arts Center 1996
Kato 1998
Morioka & Berry ‘99 pp. 116-121
Morioka & Berry ‘08 p. 305-06
Roberts p. 181
Araki pp. 2754-2755
Aburai pp. 266-267
Price: SOLD
