A FINE KANO SCHOOL SIX-PANEL BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN)

拍品描述

A FINE KANO SCHOOL SIX-PANEL BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN) Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on paper. Mounted on silk brocade on six lacquered wood panels with metal fittings. Finely painted to depict a lively scene of karako (Chinese boys) at play within a hilly landscape. The foreground features a group of boys engaged in various playful activities near a winding stream, some are seen playing with toys and banners appearing to prep for a procession, while a rustic hut provides shelter from the falling snow for others. SIZE 148.5 x 398 cm The theme of karako boys undoubtedly drew its inspiration from the extremely popular Chinese ‘One Hundred Boys’ motif. While the felicitous theme of ‘One Hundred Boys’ first appeared during the Song dynasty (960-1279), these screens are indebted to prototypes from the later Ming era (1368-1644), when the subject also appeared widely on ceramics and other decorative arts objects. The detail, variety, and sheer number of figures, executed in fine-quality pigments, along with the finely fitted box indicate that the family who commissioned these screens was aristocratic. They may have belonged to a bride's wedding trousseau, perhaps to inspire the creation of a large and joyous family. Auction comparison: Compare a related pair of six-panel Kano school screens depicting karako boys, dated to the 17th-18th century, 121 x 281 cm, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 1 December 2023, Vienna, lot 241 (sold for EUR 5,850).

图片