Fans and clouds over rocks and water

Object Details

• Calligrapher

  Hon'ami Koetsu 本阿弥光悦 (1558-1637)

• Label

  Fans decorated with painting and calligraphy are mounted on this painted screen to create the illusion that they are scattered across a silver river. The silver has darkened over time to a nearly black tone. Screens of this type were inspired by the story of a prince and his retinue crossing a bridge in Kyoto. When the prince tossed his fan into the river, the sight was so beautiful that his companions followed suit, tossing their fans and remarking at their beauty as they fluttered toward the water.

  Many screens mounted with painted fans were produced by the Tawaraya atelier headed by the painter Sotatsu. The paintings on the fans and on these screens reflect the distinctive compositions and style associated with Sotatsu and his workshop. For example, the shape, vivid colors, and soft delineation of the rock forms are comparable to the islands in Sotatsu's Waves at Matsushima screens. Eleven of the fans are inscribe with poems in the elegant calligraphic style of Koetsu, whose large, square seal also appears on some of the fans. A master calligrapher and artistic leader, Koetsu often collaborated with Sotatsu on projects combining painting and calligraphy.

• Provenance

  To 1903

  Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1903 [1]

  From 1903 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1903 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Screen List, S.I. 57, pg. 19, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Japanese Screens (March 2007 to January 3, 2016)

  Japanese Art in the Age of Koetsu (June 6, 1998 to February 15, 1999)

  Japanese Screens (May 9, 1993 to November 13, 1995)

  Japanese Screens (February 11, 1983 to July 19, 1988)

  Rimpa Screens (October 9, 1980 to December 21, 1981)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Screens, 1957 (March 20, 1957 to March 30, 1960)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Screens (October 3, 1947 to November 10, 1955)

  Japanese Screens, 1923 (May 2, 1923 to April 5, 1933)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Bunkio Matsuki 松木文恭 (1867-1940) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1600s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Matsuki, Bunkio

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Water, Fans, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings