DOI Heft:
No. 200 (November, 200)
DOI Artikel:Taki, Seiichi: The application of nature subjects to designing in japanese art
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20968#0155
Nature Subjects in Japanese Design
' of old, Yatsu-hashi, in the province of
'—— . mmmW^mm^^mm^mp""yJ'' Mikawa, was famous for its iris flowers.
jH|^OH This place was immortalised by Narihira
i Ariwara, who in one of his poems sung
■k " y of the beauty of these blossoms. After
^SlYm a " »;^jm him many other poets contributed their
. . C jSSmm quota of praise until the subject was taken
JP ' "*\ j \ iML mm- 1 up by artists, foremost of all by Korin.
• • Kenzan, the brother of Korin, is yet
lfc W. wW>. WA w'ZP^SmLi. :.'./ another artist who won fame by his
Wlf0i£M::W0 V / characteristic designs of the purely Jap-
. ■y^mwmwmf' - / anese type, designs which are similar to,
Y/WflPp^' . y' only more striking than Korin's. As an
? . example may be mentioned his masterly
Midare-bako (p. 132), a sort of large tray
_. „„„TT - r ■ 1 \ „„ in which to put away garments. Both
tea bowl {Tokyo Imperial Museum) by kenzan Ogata _ ^ .
inside and out the object is adorned with
pictorial designs exquisitely conceived, the
subject of the Funa-hashi (Pontoon Bridge) at Sano. one on the inside representing a jakago (a cylin-
Here, every word of the verse, excepting the char- drical bamboo basket filled with stones and used
acters for Funa-hashi, is represented by letters, for damming up water) and flying sanderlings.
The ferry-boat and waves are done in gold, and The jakago and waves are rendered in a simple
the pontoon bridge in lead. The letters are so and bold manner by black lines, and the birds
distributed as to cause one to think of scattering with equal audacity in gold. Simple as the con-
flowers, and what is more, the graceful curves of ception is, it forcibly suggests to our imagination
the letters harmonise charmingly with pic-
tures so strikingly treated. At least the
conception is altogether out of the ordinary
for the subject itself is exceptional and far
above the hackneyed bird and flower themes,
so affected by common artisans. No doubt
the artist hit upon this happy conception,
thinking that such a suggestive poem might
also be represented in art with equal effect.
He succeeded, and the result of his
effort has remained, and will remain, as a
triumph of truly national designing. The
use of lead in gold-lac ware was started by
Koetsu, a very happy device, since the effect
of the contrast in colour of gold and lead is
extremely attractive.
Next to Kdetsu, Korin displayed a similar
superiority in his lacquer productions. Of
these the one most worthy of special con-
sideration is a box with a Yatsu-hashi design
(pp. 130,131), preserved in theTokyd Imperial
Museum. The scene represents an iris pond
with bridges across it. Here on black ground
are executed iris plants in gold with flower
inlaid with green shells, and the bridges,
as in the case of Koetsu's work already
described, are encrusted with lead. Water
is here intentionally omitted, being reserved
. . . , , porcelain tea caddy with view of mount y0shin0
for the decoration of an inside box. in days by ninsei nomura
' 133
' of old, Yatsu-hashi, in the province of
'—— . mmmW^mm^^mm^mp""yJ'' Mikawa, was famous for its iris flowers.
jH|^OH This place was immortalised by Narihira
i Ariwara, who in one of his poems sung
■k " y of the beauty of these blossoms. After
^SlYm a " »;^jm him many other poets contributed their
. . C jSSmm quota of praise until the subject was taken
JP ' "*\ j \ iML mm- 1 up by artists, foremost of all by Korin.
• • Kenzan, the brother of Korin, is yet
lfc W. wW>. WA w'ZP^SmLi. :.'./ another artist who won fame by his
Wlf0i£M::W0 V / characteristic designs of the purely Jap-
. ■y^mwmwmf' - / anese type, designs which are similar to,
Y/WflPp^' . y' only more striking than Korin's. As an
? . example may be mentioned his masterly
Midare-bako (p. 132), a sort of large tray
_. „„„TT - r ■ 1 \ „„ in which to put away garments. Both
tea bowl {Tokyo Imperial Museum) by kenzan Ogata _ ^ .
inside and out the object is adorned with
pictorial designs exquisitely conceived, the
subject of the Funa-hashi (Pontoon Bridge) at Sano. one on the inside representing a jakago (a cylin-
Here, every word of the verse, excepting the char- drical bamboo basket filled with stones and used
acters for Funa-hashi, is represented by letters, for damming up water) and flying sanderlings.
The ferry-boat and waves are done in gold, and The jakago and waves are rendered in a simple
the pontoon bridge in lead. The letters are so and bold manner by black lines, and the birds
distributed as to cause one to think of scattering with equal audacity in gold. Simple as the con-
flowers, and what is more, the graceful curves of ception is, it forcibly suggests to our imagination
the letters harmonise charmingly with pic-
tures so strikingly treated. At least the
conception is altogether out of the ordinary
for the subject itself is exceptional and far
above the hackneyed bird and flower themes,
so affected by common artisans. No doubt
the artist hit upon this happy conception,
thinking that such a suggestive poem might
also be represented in art with equal effect.
He succeeded, and the result of his
effort has remained, and will remain, as a
triumph of truly national designing. The
use of lead in gold-lac ware was started by
Koetsu, a very happy device, since the effect
of the contrast in colour of gold and lead is
extremely attractive.
Next to Kdetsu, Korin displayed a similar
superiority in his lacquer productions. Of
these the one most worthy of special con-
sideration is a box with a Yatsu-hashi design
(pp. 130,131), preserved in theTokyd Imperial
Museum. The scene represents an iris pond
with bridges across it. Here on black ground
are executed iris plants in gold with flower
inlaid with green shells, and the bridges,
as in the case of Koetsu's work already
described, are encrusted with lead. Water
is here intentionally omitted, being reserved
. . . , , porcelain tea caddy with view of mount y0shin0
for the decoration of an inside box. in days by ninsei nomura
' 133