Bonsai display size Scrolls
Commonly used in the Japanese Tea House which is always a small area with little room on the walls, where a full length 6 foot plus scroll would be too long. Most are between 40 and 65 inches. The perfect size Scrolls for Bonsai and Suiseki Displays as most back wall areas in exhibition are around 60 inches high. These are shorter scrolls that can fit into an Exhibition space above a display table. Being shorter these are also very easy to display in a home above a fireplace, sideboard or above a bed or bedside table.
Page 2  of Short Scrolls


 Shishi Gashira in the Craig Coussins collection since 2005. Accent grown by Craig. Toro (Stone Lantern) Scroll. Table (Daiza) is 18th century
 

When you see a blue line around a picture or a bevelled edge, click that for a larger image

1: The artist YOUKEI painted this ethereal image of Fujisan in Clouds 51.7x28 . £175
Including a Pauwlana Wood box for this wonderful painting by a great artist

 

 

Shoei Cranes in Rising Sun 1950 53x24. Some slight restoration is being done. Ready end of  November £180

Kinsen, Suzuki;  Jurojin on Crane 26.5x54.2 1900

Kinsen Suzuki (1867-1945) .
 Kinsen Suzuki was born in Wakayama in 1867 and studied "Nan-ga" under Tsukushi Suiun. Since he could not get a job with Nan-ga painting, he studied ukiyo-e by himself, and drew many kuchi-e for "koudan-bon" (book for story telling), and illustrations for Kobe Newspapers. His illustrations had reputations for their historical accuracy. It was said that 70-80% of illustrations for all the koudan books published in Osaka were Kinsen's. 

An outstanding and historical scroll painted by a famous artist. With its own box, lacquered Jiku (scroll ends) and in great condition. £275

The Japanese Shinto god of longevity and a happy old age. He is one of the Shichi Fukujin, the

seven gods of luck. Jurojin is accompanied by a crane and a tortoise. He is painted riding a white

stag, smiling like a friendly old gentleman.

A group of seven Japanese Shinto gods of luck. They are often portrayed in a ship of treasures, called Takara-Bune. The Shichi Fujukin ("seven happiness beings") are: Benten, Bishamon, Daikoku, Ebisu, Fukurokuju, Hotei, and Jurojin. At Sanganichi, the Japanese New Year, people pray to them after cleaning their houses thoroughly.

 

 

Pair of Kamo. Mallard ducks in winter. Ducks remain faithful to each other when in pairs and this painting also symbolises a good marriage.

This is an original early to mid 20th century Japanese watercolour painting on paper. It has now been mounted onto a small scroll with grey silk mounts
Painting size: 29 x 6.1cm 11.5x2.4

Scroll size 35x8 inches

Signed lower right, stamp verso explaining it was hand painted in Tokyo and retailed by Matsumoto Studio, London who were active in the 1920's

With scroll Box £145

Nota Bene: The Matsumoto Studio are listed in the 1921 Directory of London as picture dealers, Chester Road, Kennington which dates the painting firmly to the early half of the 20th century.

 

Sansui ga- Landscape

Shukei Ishida (b1929)

Scroll is 28.5x54 inches picture is  19.6x17.8- Artists box with seal and signature £170 Lacquered Jikusaki-scroll ends

A lovely Sumei painting with huge detail in a small space. The fisherman under the trees , the misty village on the other side of the river and the mountain in the background give this painting an a feeling of Wabi Sabi-Everything is just right, everything is peaceful .. The condition is excellent.

Tsuru Oi Matsu. Cranes on Old Pine 56x28.2 with Box £160

A recently restored 19th century short scroll of an incredible landscape by Raisho Nakajima painted in 1850. With specially made box in antique Kimono silk from the same period box £225 16x45 inches

Raisho Nakajima  -  1796-1871      

Raisho Nakajima was born in Otsu and was a pupil of Watanabe Nangaku and later of Maruyama Ozui. He was a late Edo exponent of the Maruyama manner. Kano Bairei and Kawabata Gyokusho were his pupils.

Shintsudo, Shumbunsai, Toko (Haiku name) were also names that he used

 
You can see what a mess this lovely scroll was in before we did the restoration and the results after restoration this really brings the beauty of the image back to life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4: Painted in the early 20th Century by Scroll artist Yuson, this scroll is 53x27 inches ( 136x69 cms) Including Box. £295

 

5: Bamboo A delicate painting 60.1cm by 118.4cm 23.6 by 46.6 inches £195 A perfect Scroll for any Bonsai or Suiseki.

 

 

click for bigger picture

 

 

 

 

 

6: A stunningly beautiful scroll suitable for Bonsai Display. Wild Duck &Iris 54x27 138x67.4 with box £175

 

 

 

7: Basket of Fruit.
A lovely modern 1950's scroll composition. Great condition having recently been remounted and restored. Very good for a Bonsai or pot display in a Tokonoma. Great decoration for the place that you eat.
£155 including its own silk covered box

This is a wider scroll and is called a Yokomono Scroll

 

 

8: Sakura and Mountain Thrush on a rainy day
Dynamic and substantial Japanese scroll Sublime rendering of delicate Cherry Tree, Sakura,  branch shows confident, graceful strokes. 
Hand painted on paper with nuanced rendering of this Japanese Mountain Thrush. The artist has dropped oil drops on the paper to emulate raindrops. With the original signed artists box £180

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Scroll detail     Signature

9: Fuji san Sumei ink painting 48x28-wating on box. Ready early October £175

 

10:Sakura Branch. £155 In the style of Katsuhiko.
Sakura, the famous Cherry tree and this heralds Spring. The colours of the Japanese mounted silks are very nice and blend beautifully
 

A scroll painting from the 1930's In very nice condition This is not a long painting and therefore very suitable for display of a Bonsai.

The painting is in the style of Nihon-ga (Japanese painting) around the Taisho period to the early Showa period 1912-1950. Mainly the scroll would be used either during new years (or for the month) or an extra scroll to hang in the alcove

 

 

 

 

13: Two Koi in swirling pool. Inscribed Mimyo in 1975 with original artist's Box £195

I should make a note here though. I have not yet found an artist called Mimyo so I wondered if this was in fact  a reference  to the Mimyo-no-hashi bridge at Koyasan. In any case, it is a very lovely image.

No photographs are allowed beyond the Mimyo-no-hashi bridge at Koyasan but failing the photographic image as a reminder for the people making a pilgrimage to the holy site, perhaps the artist wanted to show Kobo Daishi as a dark Koi with a colourful Maitreya having eventually arrived and that the two carp represent this .The carp represents the continual struggle with life and a hopeful success by reaching the top of the Taki-(waterfall) at the end of that struggle.

 

Koyasan:

Mimyo no hashi is close to the tomb of Kobo Daishi. He is  is not considered dead by his followers but merely in a state of meditation awaiting the arrival of the Maitreya (Buddha of the Future), so believers want to be as near him as possible and thus have their graves built close to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum.

Just to the right of Mimyo-no-hashi is a series of black Jizo Statues. Worshippers offer prayers for the dead by ladling water from the river over the statues.

Okunoin is approached on a cobbled path (the stones come from Nagoya's old street car line) from Ichi-no-hashi.

Kobo Daishi's tomb is beyond the Mimyo-no-hashi bridge behind the Toro-do(Lantern Hall), which contains hundreds of lamps, some of them said to have been burning since the 9th century, plus a sacred vajra and juzu (prayer beads) believed by the faithful to bestow good health on touching them.

  

This very rare and old scroll was completely restored in 2010 by a third generation Scroll Master. We felt that the scroll was too important to leave in its original state and in order that it could be enjoyed by future generations we breathed new life into the scroll. The Scroll Master followed the original scroll design to a certain degree for the painting  but used new silk mounts and slightly shortened the length of the scroll for use a Tea House, Tokonoma or Bonsai exhibit..

The scroll was rebacked, creases taken out and new silk mounts were created around the painting. The original scroll ends were badly damaged so we made new scroll ends in a dense Chinese Rosewood.

The box is from silk that was originally used for a Kimono in the 19th century. Heavily embroidered, this is truly a work of art in its own right.

Artist: Kinoshita Itsuun (September 9, 1800-  September 12, 1866)

A wonderful small painting of an orchid plant by Kinoshita Itsuun. Signed and sealed by the artist. Kinoshita Itsuun is not too well known as a Japanese artist but within the Nagasaki Nanga School he is considered as a member of one the three great families of the Nagasaki Nanga School. Kinoshita was born in Nagasaki City Yahatamachi in 1800 and was the third son of Kinoshita Shigemasa.

At the age of 18 he inherited the Kinoshita estate and in 1829 left his estate to his nephew in order to fulfil his dream to became a doctor and entered Dokuseido a school that teaches the Dutch methods of treating small pox and other Western medicine.

 During his studies he also took up painting under the tutorship of a well respected local painter Ishizaki Yuushi, in order to learn the Chinese style known as Tang painting and continued his studies with some of the Chinese masters resident in Japan and  especially with Chen Yizhou, who had settled  for a time in Nagasaki  and who, incidentally, also taught Western styles.

He continued study of painting with his long time friend, Tetsuo Somon gaining high praise from the great masters, Tanomura Chikuden, Rai Sanyo, and Hirose Tanso. He was very successful as a teacher by this time and students included Kawamura Ukoku, Ikejma Sosen, Tsuda Nanchiku, his nephew and younger sister. Kinoshita was not just famous for his paintings, he was talented in many things including being known for his calligraphy, seal carvings, his biwa solos, and sencha (loose leaf tea ceremony). He was also known for developing the chemicals to create Kameyama wares and their white celadons.

Through his background working with Chinese masters, he could speak Chinese well and he was an assistant when Chinese emissaries came to Nagasaki and helped develop China-Japan relations. However, when he was returning from visiting Edo, he was on the English boat Kokuryu-maru and was involved in an accident near the shores of Nagasaki and would never return to Nagasaki. He was 68 years old. This is a rare work and has been respectfully restored..

With its special box the scroll is £325

 

 

 

Peach,Chestnut & Persimmon 1900 £175

66x120.5cm 25.9x47.4 inches with box. This box is being made for this charming scroll

The Haigu looks at the Japanese proverb:

“Momo kuri san-nen, kaki hachi-nen no kokoro”.
Translating, it is said that
“Peach and chestnut trees take three years to mature, and persimmon takes eight.”
This proverb means that patience wins out in the end.
 
Kuri (chestnuts) are one of the most common and beloved tastes of autumn in Japan. They are the symbol of autumn as well as kaki (persimmons). Kuri can be eaten simply boiled or cooked with rice (kuri-gohan). They are also often used as an ingredient in Japanese confectionery. 

These fruits have often appeared in Japanese folktales. Peaches appear in "Momotaro (The Peach Boy)." Chestnuts and persimmon appear in "Saru Kani Kassen (The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab)."

Dark brown colour is called kuri-iro (chestnut colour).

 

 

(http://www.japanesehangingscrolls.com  http://www.japanesehangingscrolls.co.uk http://www.japanesescrolls.co.uk)