A PAIR OF FINE SIX-PANEL ‘UJI RIVER’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREENS)

拍品描述

A PAIR OF FINE SIX-PANEL ‘UJI RIVER’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREENS) Japan, 19th century, late Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, gold paint, and gold foil on paper. Each mounted within a silk brocade frame on six lacquered wood panels with gilt-metal fittings incised with foliate scrolls bearing chrysanthemum blossoms. The first panel painted with an overbridge over the Uji river, a large willow to one side, and a few egrets and jakago (stone filled baskets) to the shore. The second, similarly detailed, with egrets, jakago, reeds, and willow; a large waterwheel to the center and a flock of swallow flying above. The strong architectural lines of the bridge are softened by the round forms of a waterwheel and jakago which form the embankment. SIZE 173.5 x 364 cm (each) This pair of six-panel folding screens captures the iconic Uji River bridge in Kyoto, a scene immortalized in The Tale of Genji and celebrated in Japanese poetry since the 8th century. Depicting willows, a bridge, and a waterwheel, the screens evoke the tranquil yet dynamic nature of the river, with egrets fluttering over the gentle waves and stone-filled baskets protecting the embankments. The Uji River’s natural beauty is further intertwined with religious significance, as the area became home to the Byodoin temple in the 11th century, designed as a replica of Amida Buddha’s Western Paradise. Symbolically, the bridge may represent a connection between the earthly realm and the Pure Land, blending the river’s cultural and spiritual importance.

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