- 426
A PAIR OF JAPANESE EIGHT-PANEL SCREENS AFTER SESSON SHUKEI 17TH CENTURY
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- wood
Ink on paper, poems written in gold, depicting mountainous scenes with figures and pagodas and fishing villages, each screen, inscribed Sesson with a red seal, mounted on brocade
Exhibited
The Resonant Image: Tradition in Japanese art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 21st October 1997 to 26th April 1998, and 1st May to 20th September, 1998.
Condition
The screens have areas of wear, consolidation, foxing and creases consistent with age, particularly around the hinges. In overall good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Sesson Shukei, a distinguished Japanese artist and a notable and distinctive talent among the numerous painters who worked in the style of the famous 15th century artist Sesshu.
Although the present screens date to a slightly later period than the 16th century examples, the aesthetic remains the same. The artists in the school aspired to express landscapes with subtle gradations of black ink; a technique learned from the masters who acquired the skill in China. The heavy moist haze near the water and crisp air in the mountains can be seen on the present examples. The abbreviated and cursive brushwork evokes Zen paintings in the Chinese manner.
Inscribed Eight panel screens are rare. The poems are each about nature and seasons, echoing the themes explored in the painting.
Although the present screens date to a slightly later period than the 16th century examples, the aesthetic remains the same. The artists in the school aspired to express landscapes with subtle gradations of black ink; a technique learned from the masters who acquired the skill in China. The heavy moist haze near the water and crisp air in the mountains can be seen on the present examples. The abbreviated and cursive brushwork evokes Zen paintings in the Chinese manner.
Inscribed Eight panel screens are rare. The poems are each about nature and seasons, echoing the themes explored in the painting.