Momohara" Landscape of a Mountain Stream, Dancing Cranes

1921. [Kakemono 掛け物 - Hanging Scroll] Tsuda Seifū 津田青楓, artist

"Momohara" Landscape of a Mountain Stream, Dancing Cranes

Taishō 10 [1921]

Hanging scroll with the image size 135.2 X 33.4 cm. Beautifully mounted on brocade with bone jiku. The painting is signed and sealed by Tsuda Seifū 津田青楓 (1880-1978), an extraordinarily influential artist and designer who not only painted in oils and in traditional watercolor on silk and paper, but also created designs and bookbindings. A protege of such masters as the designer Furuya Kōrin 古谷紅鱗 (1875-1910) and the author and poet Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916) and later an influence upon generations of creative artists, Tsuda Seifū has here created a free and easy Nihonga work in color ink on silk, dated Taishō 10 [1921] and sealed by him. Its eccentric spirit seems to have a touch of Tomioka Tessai 富岡鉄斎 (1836/7-1924) to it. Certainly they must have met, as Seifū illustrated several design books with calligraphed encomia done by Tessai in the 1900s. It is also reminiscent of some of the book-bindings he was doing during the same period.

The brushwork and calligraphy are first-rate and the presentation is impeccable. In a wooden box and worn outer cardboard slipcase with written title label.