Traditional Japanese Art Prints

Artistic prints featuring crows and sunrises, accompanied by poetry, reflecting traditional Japanese themes and delicate woodblock printing techniques.

Rubbings of the Sheng-chiao hsu Stele, 12th century, Wang Hsi-chih, Chinese, 303 - 361, 1 3/8 x 8 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (3.49 x 21.59 x 34.29 cm), Ink on paper, China, 12th century, Wang Hsi-chih, one of the greatest calligraphers of all times, was undoubtedly the primary cultural prototype for the Ming literati. Wang came from an aristocratic family and preferred the company of Taoist and Buddhist monks to Confucian bureaucrats. A brilliant man of letters, he studied poetry, music, and calligraphy and sought the quietude of nature. Wang was a master of running script (hsing-shu) calligraphy. His innovative brush movements distinguished his work from the rigid and formal style of archaic clerical script. Wang's spontaneous, fluid writing served as the model for expressive calligraphy for centuries to come.

Crow on rising sun, anonymous, c. 1800 - c. 1850 print A crow flies above the first sunrise of the year. With multiple poems. paper color woodcut song-birds: crow. sunrise

New Year Card with Kyōka (Humerous Poem) and Three Disks 18th-19th century Unidentified artist. New Year Card with Kyōka (Humerous Poem) and Three Disks 54018

A crow flies above the first sunrise of the year. With multiple poems.

Paintings of Ike no Taiga (Ike Taiga gafu); Paintings of Yi Fujiu (I Fuky gafu) 1803 (postumously published) Nakagawa Tenju In the preface to the first volume, Nakano Sod mentions that the Kyoto artist Kan Dainen (also known as Kan Tenju) had made copies of actual paintings of the Bunjin artists Ike Taiga and Yi Fujiu (J. I Fuky) in miniature format with the idea of creating a painting manual (e-dehon). Dainen, an expert in calligraphy and seal carving, was a patron of Taiga. I Fuky, a Chinese merchant and amateur painter in the Literati style arrived in Nagasaki in 1720, and was admired by Taiga, Dainen and Aoki Shukuya (1737-1802). Fukyu was said to have copied the Yi Fukjiu paintings in 1767, and the Taiga ones 1768. The Bunjin painting and collector Kimura Kenkad (1736-1802) acquired the manuscript of Dainen’s copies, and after his death it was inherited by one Nakazawa Keizan (dates unknown), who had Sod author the Preface to the volumes.. Paintings of Ike no Taiga (Ike

Rubbings of the Sheng-chiao hsu Stele, 12th century, Wang Hsi-chih, Chinese, 303 - 361, 1 3/8 x 8 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (3.49 x 21.59 x 34.29 cm), Ink on paper, China, 12th century, Wang Hsi-chih, one of the greatest calligraphers of all times, was undoubtedly the primary cultural prototype for the Ming literati. Wang came from an aristocratic family and preferred the company of Taoist and Buddhist monks to Confucian bureaucrats. A brilliant man of letters, he studied poetry, music, and calligraphy and sought the quietude of nature. Wang was a master of running script (hsing-shu) calligraphy. His innovative brush movements distinguished his work from the rigid and formal style of archaic clerical script. Wang's spontaneous, fluid writing served as the model for expressive calligraphy for centuries to come.

Poems for Dong Qichang. Artist: Chen Jiru (Chinese, 1558-1635). Culture: China. Dimensions: Overall (double leaf): 8 5/8 × 11 3/4 in. (21.9 × 29.8 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Colophon, 1788 Last page, 18b, in part two of the Utamaro insect book. Or paper

Chinese poem by Hanshan, My heart is like the autumn moon” 1760 Baisa? Baisa? was a monk of the ?baku sect Zen Buddhism who was also instrumental in establishing the popularity of sencha, Chinese style of steeped tea, in a country that had elevated the practice of matcha, whipped green tea, into a highly ritualized ceremony. Baisa?, whose name literally means the old man who sells tea,” caught the attention of Kyotoites as an itinerant tea peddler. His own poetry and calligraphy, rendered in a radically demonstrative manner, was cherished in his own day and in future generations, especially in sencha circles. Following in the tradition of ?baku monks of the seventeenth century who established the Chinese style of Zen at Manpukuji in Uji near Kyoto, he nurtured a bold, dynamic but flowing style of calligraphy. Here Baisa? has inscribed not one of his own Chinese verses, but rather a famous five-syllable verse by Han Shan, the iconoclastic Zen- inspired Tang poet whose Cold Mountain”

Letter to Xu Shangde Tang Yin Chinese Not only is this letter one of the most beautiful specimens of Tang Yin's calligraphy to survive, but its contents also provide invaluable information about Tang's wide-ranging literary productions, many of which are no longer extant. The text of Tang's letter reads in part:I am getting together my past writings so I might be remembered after my death. I hope that all my writingsthe three volumes of the Sanshi huqian [on the principles of fortune telling, eight volumes of Selected Literary Works, one volume of The Mirror of Painting and Calligraphy, twenty volumes of Biographies of Generals and Ministers, two volumes of Historical Discussions, and six volumes of Discussions of Current Affairswill be remembered by you. Some day.. I hope you will write of these works on my tombstone.(Marc F. Wilson and Kwan S. Wong, trans., Friends of Wen Cheng-ming: A View from the Crawford Collection [New York: China Institute in America, 1974, p. 74). Letter t

Sweet Maker. Satō Hōdai (Japan, active 1845 - 1875). Japan, 1886. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Four-line Poem, late 19th century, Kazeyama Hōin, 6 9/16 × 10 1/8 in. (16.67 × 25.72 cm), Ink on paper; light pigment, Japan, 19th century

Handscroll, first half 18th century, Yamada Zeigan, 11 5/16 × 34 5/8 in. (28.73 × 87.95 cm) (image)12 7/8 × 115 3/16 in. (32.7 × 292.58 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th century

Title sheet of the shung mask the adoni plain; Fukujuso. Title page of a series of twelve erotic representations

Reading at the Secluded Pine Studio (Song yinan). Artist: Xu Kang

Du Fu's poem in cursive script, 1484, Zhu Yunming, Chinese, 1460 - 1526, 16 1/4 × 10 1/16 in. (41.28 × 25.56 cm) (image)65 5/8 × 17 9/16 in. (166.69 × 44.61 cm) (overall, without roller), Ink on paper, China, 15th century, During the Ming period, members of the elite who gained fame for their calligraphy were often equally famous for their achievements in painting. Within elite society, calligraphy was equally admired as painting. It was viewed as quintessential yet functional, rather than as merely an independent visual art form or means of self-expression and cultivation. Many artists in the Ming dynasty were not only good at painting, but also excelled in composing poems and calligraphy. These three arts are known as the sanjue, or the 'Three Perfections.' Both Wen Zhengming and Zhu Yunming are regarded as great masters with skills of the 'Three Perfections.'

1661 Renga Meeting, 1661, Unknown Japanese, 7 5/8 × 21 5/8 × 1/16 in. (19.37 × 54.93 × 0.16 cm) (open)7 5/8 × 7 1/2 × 3/8 in. (19.37 × 19.05 × 0.95 cm) (closed), Woodblock printed book; ink on paper, Japan, 17th century

Medical talisman against miscarriage (Chinese MS)

Poem on Plum, 1700s-1800s. Copy after Yi Hwang (Korean, 1501-1570). Hanging scroll; ink on paper; overall: 115 x 68.2 cm (45 1/4 x 26 7/8 in.); painting only: 46 x 52.7 cm (18 1/8 x 20 3/4 in.).

Kaiho, Geka chochoki

Quatrain in Running Script, mid 19th century, Umetsuji Kiretsu, Japanese, 1784 - 1863, 11 1/8 × 5 5/8 in. (28.26 × 14.29 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Scroll 1, scene 15. text. Illustrations, Manuscripts. 1600 - 1625. Spencer Collection

Letter Addressed to Yo Shoemon. Calligrapher: Ike Taiga (Japanese, 1723-1776). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 9 5/16 × 8 1/8 in. (23.6 × 20.6 cm)Overall with mounting: 42 15/16 × 13 11/16 in. (109 × 34.8 cm)Overall with knobs: 42 15/16 × 15 3/4 in. (109 × 40 cm). Date: 18th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Commentary on the Peach Blossom Spring, c. 1700, Wang Shih-hung, Chinese, 1658 - 1723, 48-3/4 x 15-3/4 in. (123.8 x 40.0 cm), Ink on patterned silk brocade, China, 17th-18th century, Wang Shih-hung was one of the K'ang-hsi emperor's (1662-1723) favorite calligraphers. A native of Suzhou, he graduated number one in the annual jinshi degree or doctorate examination. Wang was a prolific poet and calligrapher and several collections of his verse have been published.

A Summer Idyll. Artist: After Zhao Mengfu (Chinese, 1254-1322); Unidentified Artist Chinese. Culture: China. Dimensions: Image: 52 1/2 x 20 7/8 in. (133.4 x 53 cm)Overall with mounting: 111 1/2 x 29 in. (283.2 x 73.7 cm)Overall with knobs: 111 1/2 x 32 1/4 in. (283.2 x 81.9 cm).This work and another in the Xinxiang County Museum, Henan Province, are the only known calligraphic hanging scrolls associated with Zhao Mengfu. In both works,the large cursive script, written in a bold dry-brush, "flying-white" technique, and the loose structure of individual characters suggest a Ming-dynasty date. The poem, which is recorded in Zhao's collected works, is the first in a series of three entitled "Three Quatrains on Some Immediate Events." It describes the leisurely life of the artist in early summer:Through the loosely woven bamboo curtain from Xiang, I see a sparse wavy pattern.In my newly tailored white sackcloth gown, gentle heat rises.The shadow of the sun over the courtyard grows longer, a

Danseres.Invitation (in Japanese) for a dance performance of two Geisha Societies from the Fukugawa District in Edo, sponsored by Tsuzumi Hanzô.

Confucian Exhortation, second half 18th century, Chō Tōsai, Japanese, 1713 - 1786, 10 3/8 × 10 5/16 in. (26.35 × 26.19 cm) (image)45 1/8 × 13 11/16 in. (114.62 × 34.77 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th century, 大人丘一已化三 / 千七十子你小生八 / 九子可作仁可 / 知礼也

Hippo Rikugi Sho, early 18th century, Unknown Japanese, 12 3/4 × 198 3/8 in. (32.39 × 503.87 cm) (image)12 3/4 × 206 7/8 in. (32.39 × 525.46 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and silver on gampi paper, Japan, 18th century

Various Designs for the Chiseller (Chk Shitae Shinajina) dated 1867 Togyoku, and others Japanese. Various Designs for the Chiseller (Chk Shitae Shinajina). Japanese. dated 1867. Ink on paper, pasted into a bound volume. Miscellaneous

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Edo, Tsutaya Juzaburo (Koshodo), Utamaro, Kitagawa, Kyoka poems and colophon, Poetry, Last and penultimate page with kyoka poems and on the far left the colophon of the book Fugenzo by Utamaro., page, prints, pictures, Japan (collection), height 254 mm, width 183 mm, Japanese, 1753 - 1806, print maker, printmaker, 1790 - 1790, fourth quarter 18th century, paper, woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Mustard Seed Garden, a Chinese Painter's Manual Mustard Seed Garden, a Chinese Painter's Manual, 1782. Woodblock printed book, ink and color on paper, Each: 11 3/4 x 6 13/16 x 3/16 in. (29.8 x 17.3 x 0.5 cm). Asian Art 1782

Poem Leaf, mid 19th century, Kōno Tettō, Japanese, 1825 - 1867, 12 1/8 × 10 3/4 in. (30.8 × 27.31 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11, ca. 1652. Porcelain with underglaze, 10 1/16 × 7 1/2 in. (25.5 × 19 cm). Asian Art ca. 1652

A Page from the Jie Zi Yuan China. A Page from the Jie Zi Yuan 63210

C14 Chinese medication chart: Sweating, emesis and purgation

Six spring haiku, mid 18th century, Kaga no Chiyo, Japanese, 1703 - 1775, 6 1/4 × 17 5/16 in. (15.88 × 43.97 cm) (image), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan, 18th century

Shen Yinmo (1883-1971). "Calligraphy in the style of Huang Tingjian", 1940-1945. Ink and colors on paper. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 38779-5 Calligraphy, ink, handwritten page, poem

Index Page, prints .51-.100 (Vol.1), from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

The One-Page Preface and Colophon from the illustrated book Colors of the Triple Dawn (Saishiki mitsu no asa) 1787 Japan. Color woodblock print; pages from an illustrated book . Torii Kiyonaga

Confucian Text at Age 73, 1876, Yanagawa Kōran, Japanese, 1804 - 1879, 43 5/8 × 8 3/4 in. (110.81 × 22.23 cm) (image)62 1/8 × 13 7/16 in. (157.8 × 34.13 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Poem, late 18th - early 19th century, Kameda Bōsai, Japanese, 1752 - 1826, 8 1/4 × 17 3/4 in. (20.96 × 45.09 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th-19th century

Letter, second half 19th century, Kameyama Unpei, Japanese, 1822 - 1899, 9 × 18 1/8 in. (22.86 × 46.04 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Poetry. Last and penultimate page with kyoka poems and extremely left the colophon of the book Fugenzo from Utamaro.

Poem for a Dragon Painting, late 18th - early 19th century, Minagawa Kien, Japanese, 1734 - 1807, 49 13/16 × 17 3/16 in. (126.52 × 43.66 cm) (image)71 9/16 × 21 13/16 in. (181.77 × 55.4 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th-19th century

Kyoto, Yamada Naosaburo, Sekka, Kamisaka, Momoyogusa, vol. 1, Flowers of a Hundred Worlds, Preface, verso - stamped, Calligraphed preface from part 1 of the Momoyogusa album., print, prints, Japan (collection), height 301 mm, width 462 mm, Japanese, 1866 - 1942, print maker, 1909-05-05 - 1909-05-05, first quarter 20st century, first quarter 20th century, paper, woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Poem While Traveling, second half 18th century, Ryū Kōbi, Japanese, 1715 - 1792, 6 × 18 1/4 in. (15.24 × 46.36 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th century

Set of Three Poem Cards (shikishi), one of three, second half 19th century, Doi Gōga, Japanese, 1817 - 1881, 8 1/2 × 8 1/16 in. (21.59 × 20.48 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Set of Three Poem Cards (shikishi), one of three, second half 19th century, Doi Gōga, Japanese, 1817 - 1881, 8 9/16 × 8 1/4 in. (21.75 × 20.96 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Letters by Courtesans late 18th or early 19th century Unidentified artist Brought together in this handscroll of thirty-seven brush-written letters is one of the most wonderful compilations imaginable of skillful calligraphy of the late Edo period, most dating probably from about the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century. Many of the brief missivessome including transcriptions of poemspartake of a millennium-old convention of Japanese calligraphy called chirashigaki, literally, “scattered writing,” which became especially popular among ladies of the Heian court for transcribing correspondence and love poetry. According to the conventions of chirashigaki, columns and registers of kana (phonetic writing), with a modest admixture of highly cursive kanji (Chinese characters), could be artfully and even playfully arranged across the surface of decorated writing paper.What makes this collection all the more fascinating, thought provoking, and poignant is that each letter was brushed

Preface and colophon of "Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki)". Suzuki Harunobu ; Japanese, 1725 ()-1770. Date: 1771. Dimensions: 20.7 x 28.5 cm (8 1/8 x 11 3/16 in.). Woodblock print; two pages from illustrated book. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Three poems from the Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern (Kokin wakashu). Calligrapher: Traditionally attributed to Fujiwara no Tameyori (Japanese, 939-998). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 9 3/16 × 5 9/16 in. (23.4 × 14.1 cm)Overall with mounting: 54 5/16 × 11 in. (138 × 28 cm)Overall with knobs: 54 5/16 × 13 3/8 in. (138 × 34 cm). Date: 13th century.Connoisseurs in the past attributed this work to the hand of courtier-poet Fujiwara no Tameyori. In doing so, they seem to have made a speculative connection between the content of the calligraphic fragment, in this case poems from Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern (ca. 905), imaging that it was from an early transcription of this literary classic. This style of court calligraphy did not appear until two hundred years later. Each of the three anonymously composed poems is rendered in two columns. The poem on the far left reads: Tobu tori no koe mo kikoenu okuyama no fukaki kokoro ohito wa shirananIf only my loverknew

Page of Calligraphy from Album ofLandscapes. Artist: Weng Tonghe, Chinese, 1830-1904

Text. Page 36 and 37 of part one of Utamaro`s book: Events in the Lusthuizen during the year.

New Year Gift 1863 Japan. This egoyomi print shows a plum blossom branch with noshi (gift-strip paper) for the New Year. It also includes a listing of daisho, or the long and short months. The first day of each zodiac sign for the months of 1863 is included in the poems. Kamata Gensen cheekily imitated the format and characters of official calendars issued by the government. Gensen wrote that he designed the print in response to a request, probably by the host of this particular poetry gathering.. Color woodblock print; surimono . Kamata Gensen

Sun Guoting (646-691) or Sun Qianli, was a Chinese calligrapher of the early Tang Dynasty, remembered for his cursive calligraphy and his Treatise on Calligraphy (ca. 687). The work was the first important theoretical work on Chinese calligraphy, and has remained important ever since, though only its preface survived. The preface is the only surviving calligraphic work of Sun, therefore it is responsible for both Sun's reputation as an artist and as a theorist. The original handscroll can be seen at the National Palace Museum, in Taipei, Taiwan, and on its web site.

Epitaph Plaques for Yi Gi-ha, 1718. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Porcelain with underglaze blue; overall: 18.2 x 12.6 cm (7 3/16 x 4 15/16 in.).

Poem, 1259. Song Lizong (Chinese, 1205-1264). Album leaf, ink on silk; image: 24.5 x 25.4 cm (9 5/8 x 10 in.).

Reading at the Secluded Pine Studio (Song yinan). Artist: Fei Nianci, Chinese, 1855-1905

Su Shi's First Ode to the Red Cliff, 1826, Tōkai Okon, Japanese, 1816 - 1888, 53 5/16 × 22 9/16 in. (135.41 × 57.31 cm) (image), Ink on paper, Japan, Cursive script (sōsho), A female calligrapher and child prodigy, Okon was just 10 years old when she wrote the first of Su Shi's (1037-1101) two Odes to the Red Cliff. She proves her prowess in a long text with rhythmical flowing cursive script. Okon was praised by many literati of her day. At age 10, she even performed in front of the Emperor, who rewarded her with a jade cup.

Edo, Ikku, Jippensha, Text, Pages 40 and 41 of part one of Utamaro`s book: Events in the pleasure houses during the year., page, prints, pictures, Japan (collection), height 224 mm, width 158 mm, Japanese, 1765 - 1831, writer, 1804 - 1804, first quarter 19th century, paper, woodcut

Poem, early 1800s. Rai Sanyō (Japanese, 1780-1832). Album leaf; ink on buff paper; sheet: 26.7 x 18 cm (10 1/2 x 7 1/16 in.).

The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual 1817 or 1818 Japan. The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual. Japan. 1817 or 1818. Woodblock printed books; ink and color (on frontispiece only) on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Illustrated Books

Segment of the Lotus Sutra (Hoke-kyō) late 12th century Attributed to Kujō Kanezane Japanese Buddhist scripturestranscribed in glittering gold and silver pigments on indigo-dyed papers and featuring elaborate frontispieces, or as here, in ink on gorgeously decorated papersattest to the importance placed on the brush-written word. It was believed that copying sutras or having them copied would bestow religious merit, and therefore no expense was spared in creating gorgeous editions of them. This five-line segment of a sumptuous handscroll of the Lotus Sutra embodies the aesthetics and religious practice of the late Heian period. The excerpt is from Chapter 19, “Benefits of the Teacher of the Law,” which promises that believers who accept the teachings of the sutra will be able to perfect their faculty of smell so that they can distinguish the different fragrances of heavenly beings and realms. Segment of the Lotus Sutra (Hoke-kyō) 44614

Table of contents, 1804 The gateway to the Yoshiwara pleasure district, in which the table of contents of Utamaro's book: events in the pleasure houses during the year (first part). Or paper color woodcut

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Excerpt from Song of Leyou Park” Zhang Jizhi Chinese Zhang Jizhi, the last important calligrapher of the Song period, was a devout Buddhist who often transcribed religious texts as an act of devotion. He obtained his jinshi degree, the highest rank in the civil service examination, but never rose to high office. As a calligrapher, however, his fame spread beyond the borders of the Song to the Jin empire in northern China as well as to Japan, where his handwriting was particularly prized by Zen monks. Zhang was noted for his forceful large-character standard script, with its boldly contrasting blunt and sinuous brushstrokes. This piece, remounted centuries ago in Japan for display in a tokonoma, was cut from a long handscroll transcribing a poem by Du Fu (712-770) in such a manner that the poetic phrasing of the original is completely fragmented. The original two couplets may be translated as follows (the text of this scroll is on the fourth and fifth lines):Heavenly gates open in clea

Epitaph Plaques for Yi Gi-ha, 1718. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Porcelain with underglaze blue; overall: 18.2 x 12.6 cm (7 3/16 x 4 15/16 in.).

Prayer texts; beginning of the 20th century (1900-00-00-1920-00-00);

Epitaph Tablet for Bak Eun (1479-1504), from a Set of 14 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Bak Eun (1479-1504), from a Set of 14, 1509. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 1/2 × 6 1/2 × 1 in. (24.1 × 16.5 × 2.5 cm). When important individuals died during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), they were commemorated in lengthy epitaphs that were inscribed on durable surfaces for posterity. This set of fourteen plaques (we are showing only part of the set) records the biography and family history of a celebrated poet, Park Eun (1479-1504), and even includes examples of his verses. This is an unusually early example of the use of porcelain for preserving epitaphs. Prior to this period, epitaphs were carved into stone. In this early period, iron oxide was used to write the text, whereas later cobalt blue would be preferred. Asian Art 1509

Fishing Village Poem, mid 19th century, Kaiho Gyoson, Japanese, 1798 - 1866, 9 5/16 × 4 7/8 in. (23.65 × 12.38 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Bamboo, One of Pair Bamboo, One of Pair, 19th century. Ink on silk, 73 1/2 x 17 1/4 in. (186.7 x 43.8 cm). Asian Art 19th century

Scroll I.. 1501 - 1599. Illustrations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection

Chinese Poem: Seven-character-quatrain

A Collection of Haiga by Gesson, 1934 book One part (of two); White mixed cover with in black the title, from right to left; 40 sheets, numbered: 1a, title page; 1b, biography; 2, calligraphy on white paper; 3a, print on hind legs standing animal in reeds and sickle maan; 3B-32, images of people and landscapes, interspersed with calligraphy; 33-41, text and red stamps; Inside cover, colophon; Cover back, image of two sitting men. Together with the accompanying part stored in dark blue cover with white title strip in the middle. paper letterpress printing

Loyalty, mid 19th century, Umeda Unpin, Japanese, 1815 - 1859, 10 9/16 × 4 1/16 in. (26.83 × 10.32 cm) (image)33 11/16 × 7 3/16 in. (85.57 × 18.26 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Poetry. Fifth and sixth page with kyoka poems from the Book Fugenzo from Utamaro.

Title Page. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, circa 1876. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Epitaph Plaques for Yi Gi-ha, 1718. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Porcelain with underglaze blue; overall: 18.2 x 12.6 cm (7 3/16 x 4 15/16 in.).

Bamboo, One of Pair Bamboo, One of Pair, 19th century. Ink on silk, Image: 50 3/4 x 13 in. (128.9 x 33 cm). Asian Art 19th century

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual, 1753, by Wang Gai (active 1677-1705), Kyoto. Woodcuts

Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō) and Landscape Ike Taiga. Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō) and Landscape 75347

Edo, Ikku, Jippensha, Text, Nineteenth and twentieth text pages of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the pleasure houses during the year., page, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 226 mm, width 158 mm, Japanese, 1765 - 1831, writer, 1804 - 1804, first quarter 19th century, first quarter 19e century, paper, woodcut

Paintings after Ancient Masters: Calligraphy, 1598-1652. Chen Hongshou (Chinese, 1598/99-1652). Album leaf, ink and color on silk; overall: 30.2 x 26.7 cm (11 7/8 x 10 1/2 in.).

Foreword from the book Elegant Erotic Mane'emon (Fūryū enshoku Mane'emon), vol. 1, c. 1768-1770, Suzuki Harunobu; Author: Komatsuya Hyakki; Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi, Japanese, 1725 - 1770, 8 5/16 × 11 1/2 in. (21.11 × 29.21 cm) (sheet, horizontal chūban), Woodblock print (sumizuri-e); ink on paper, Japan, 18th century

Text, 1804 Fifteenth and sixteenth text page of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the Lusthuizen during the year. Or paper

Frontispiece and Colophons to the Album "Five Old Men of Suiyang" Various Scholars. Frontispiece and Colophons to the Album "Five Old Men of Suiyang". Various Scholars (11th-20th centuries). China. Album of fifteen leaves; ink on paper. Song (960-1279)-Qing (1644-1911) dynasty. Paintings

Album of Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing early 17th century Calligraphy by Konoe Nobutada Konoe Nobutada, a courtier-calligrapher famed for his bold, expressive, and idiosyncratic handwriting, inscribed the decorated poetry sheets (shikishi) for an album comprising selections from Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing, compiled about 1013 by the courtier-poet Fujiwara no Kint (966-1041). This was surely one of the most widely studied and cited poetry anthologies available around the time Murasaki Shikibu was crafting her complex tale, which is interwoven with 795 waka (thirty-one-syllable verses) and countless allusions to Chinese poems.Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing is composed of 588 Chinese couplets and 216 accompanying waka, interspersed with each other as if to draw out resonances in poetic imagery and style.. Album of Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing. Calligraphy by Konoe Nobutada (Japanese, 1565-1614). Japan. early 17th century. Album of thirty-six leaves; each on gold, s

Text of the Perfection of Wisdom (Mahāprajñāpāramitā) Sūtra, c. 700s-800s. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Album leaf, ink on dyed paper; overall: 26.2 x 9 cm (10 5/16 x 3 9/16 in.). This precious text fragment is one of the earliest calligraphies in the collection. The text is copied from the Mahprajñpramit Stra (also called the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Chinese: ; Móh Br Bluómìdu jing). The passage is part of a collection of sacred Buddhist texts written in India around 100 BC to AD 600 that were translated in the 700s by the Chinese monk Xuanzang. The paragraph is written in regular script style (kaishu) with deep black characters on brown aged paper that may have originally been dyed yellow. Mahyna Buddhism teaches that faithfully copying sutra texts is a good deed that helps one accumulate merit and the Buddha’s blessings—a way to gain rebirth in the Western Paradise.

Miniature Album, 1873, Hirano Gogaku, Japanese, 1809 - 1893, 5/8 × 3 11/16 × 5 1/8 in. (1.59 × 9.37 × 13.02 cm), Ink and light colors on paper, Japan, 19th century

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Scroll 2. Scene 21, 1615 - 1868

Rain on Laurel Blossoms Xu Lin Chinese. Rain on Laurel Blossoms. Xu Lin (Chinese, 1462-1548). China. Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on gold-flecked paper. Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Calligraphy

Foreword, 1804 Second and third text page of part one of Utamaro`s book: Events in the pleasure houses during the year. Or paper

Surangama sutra (Neung-eom-gyeong) by Yun Baek-ha (1680-1741) with a colophon by Sin Wi (1769-1845) from the Joseon period. Dated 18th Century

Hidden Spring, mid 19th century, Kōno Tettō, Japanese, 1825 - 1867, 53 13/16 × 21 3/4 in. (136.68 × 55.25 cm) (image)78 3/8 × 25 1/2 in. (199.07 × 64.77 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Japanese manuscript on smallpox, c. 1720

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