Camellias (one of a pair with F1974.35)

Object Details

• Artist

  Suzuki Kiitsu 鈴木其一 (1796-1858)

• School/Tradition

  Rinpa

• Label

  The paintings now mounted on this pair of screens were once mounted on the front and back of a single two-panel screen. The painting of white camellias against a gold background was mounted on the front, while the painting in monochromatic ink and silver was mounted on the back of the original screen. Double-sided screens were popular during the late Edo period (1615-1868). When paintings are mounted on both sides of a screen, however, the painting on the back sustains considerable wear and damage when it is handled and stored. For this reason, many double-sided screens have had their paintings remounted as conventional screens with paintings on one side only.

  This pair of paintings exhibits the highly simplified style that was made popular by painters of the Rimpa school, beginning with Sotatsu, who was active in Kyoto in the seventeenth century. Rimpa paintings are often distinguished by innovative design and technical finesse.

  See also F1974.35

• Provenance

  ?-1971

  Unidentified Collector, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1971-1974

  N. V. Hammer, Inc., New York, method of acquisition unknown [2]

  From 1974

  The Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from N. V. Hammer, Inc., New York [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Harold P. Stern, “Rimpa: Masterworks of the Japanese Decorative School” [exhibition catalog] (New York: Japan Society, Inc., 1971), cat. no. 48, pp. 80-81. This Rimpa exhibition at the Japan House Gallery, in the autumn of 1971, was the inaugural exhibition for the Japan Society’s new headquarters in New York. The screens were loaned by an anonymous lender. However, Marion Hammer, wife of Nathan V. Hammer, is listed as being among the lenders, so there is a possibility that the screens were loaned by Marion Hammer, and in the Hammers’ possession before 1971.

  [2] See object file for copy of Freer Gallery of Art vault record no. V101.71, showing that on December 6, 1971, N. V. Hammer delivered the screens to the Freer for examination. Below the description of the screens [Painting (1 pair, 2-fold screens); “Camellias and autumn grass” by Kiitsu Suzuki sic.)]

  is a notation in red ink: “from Rimpa show at Japan House.” Nathan Vadim Hammer (1917-1980) owned the gallery N.V. Hammer, Inc. - Far Eastern Art in New York City. The son of Russian-Polish immigrants, he joined his father in the family business, United Metal Box Co., which made kitchen and bath cabinetry for high-end hotels and apartment buildings. In 1942, the company received its first U. S. federal contract for a 1.5 million ammunition boxes. Nathan served as a Vice President for the company for many years, and in about 1975 he and his second wife, Marion (Ariowitsch) Hammer, relocated to Switzerland, where Marion was born. After Nathan’s death, Marion would continue to sell art and antiquities in her own name.

  [3] See object file for copy of N. V. Hammer, Inc. invoice to the Freer Gallery of Art, dated November 15, 1974, and approved by the Secretary of the Smithsonian on January 22, 1973.

  Research updated October 26, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Rinpa Screens (February 25, 2023 to February 24, 2024)

  Japanese Screens (March 2007 to January 3, 2016)

  Life of a Japanese Painting (December 1, 1995 to October 16, 1996)

  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)

  Japanese Lacquer (April 16, 1979 to October 8, 1980)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

  Japanese Art (July 1, 1974 to April 10, 1978)

• Previous custodian or owner

  N.V. Hammer, Inc.

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

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

• Name

  N.V. Hammer, Inc.

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Art, Camellia, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings