Hokuga: Tosa Diary Abalone Shell Surimono (Reserved)

Artist: Katsushika Hokuga (active 1803-d.1835)
Title: Tosa Diary Series: Classical Tales (Monogatari awase)  Date: 1809

Hokuga, also known as Gosei, was an early student of Hokusai, and he is known for his exquisite surimono designs. As noted in the 2000 Ota Museum catalog by Carpenter and Mirviss (p. 69), the artist was known for his understated esthetic, with a penchant for playing with composition and perspective, contrasts of texture, and subtlety of color schemes. They note that the artist was very intimate with kyoka poet masters both in Edo and in Matsumoto. In this stunningly printed composition of two views of an abalone, there are a complex set of associations between the texts and the image. As noted by the authors, the title links the image to the Tosa Nikki.  The poem is by Kingairo Kiyosumi:

“Bearing annual gifts/ tied and decorated/ with abalone strands/ the woman gently/ makes her spring visits.”

The new year’s poem is by kyoka master Kiyosumi, and the allusion to abalone is that in the Edo period, strands of abalone shells were attached to presents as a decoration.

The work features blindprinting at the edge of the shell as well as on the soft green encrustations and on the white underside of the upper shell.. there is also some added gofun white, which was sourced from shells, as well as some soft mica. The bokashi on the underside of the bivalve is extremely subtle and rich. The luxurious yet subtle visual poetry of the image supports the sophisticated interplay with the poetry that the Edo period collector would have appreciated.

Dimensions: Shikishiban  (21 x 18.3 cm)  Signature: Hotei hokuga hitsu
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.

SKU: SUR074