KAWANABE KYOSAI (1831 - 1889): A BURLESQUE SCENE WITH DANCERS. Kakemono, ink and colour on paper. Japan, 9th century. SIZE IMAGE 117 x 49,7 CM, SCROLL 114 x 60,5 CM
This painting by Kyosai presents us a truly fine and detailed figural painting and perfectly grasps the livelyhood of a scene with six vividly moving figures. The foreground shows a man clothed in a Kimono attributed of a Katana to his Obi and presenting a Taira-Mon on his robe. One hand holds a fan depicting the rising sun and a black bird is seated and in the other hand there is a flowering Sakura branch with an attached Hyotan. Behind, a dancer in an exalted pose and clothed like Daikoku and presenting spread fingers and Daisho (a pair of swords), followed of some figures in various robes and attributes. Signature: Seisei Kyosai ga 惺々 æšé½‹ ç”», square seal Nyoku Kyosai 如空 æšé½‹ and a red seal Kyosai. Kyosai (Gyosai) was a skillful artist of Ukiyo-e and followed his studies with Utagawa Kuniyoshi, among others, and was certainly influenced by the humorous drawings of the monk Toba Soj. Brocade mounting, depicting a motif of a boy and golden Ichimonji, fine polished wooden Jikusaki, with wooden case. From a German private collection