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Japanese Scroll Painting, 17th Century Tiger Dragon Pair by Soga Nichokuan

Price:$8,500

$14,000List Price

About the Item

Tiger and Dragon Soga Nichokuan (active, circa 1625-1660) Pair of hanging scrolls, ink on paper. Dimensions: Each scroll 118 cm x 57 cm. Each image 215 cm x 73 cm. This is a large and rare pair of dragon and tiger paintings by the 17th century Japanese artist Soga Nichokuan (active circa 1625-1660). Soga Nichokuan, well-known for his paintings of hawks, is the successor to, and likely the son of, Soga Chokuan (active ca 1596-1615). The dragon and tiger have long been seen as symbols for Yin and Yang in Chinese philosophy. They represent contrary forces that are perpetually interconnected, ensuring the constant, dynamic balance of all things. Yin and Yang is also often portrayed in Japanese art through the pairing of dragons and tigers. The dragon represents Yang’s active qualities while the tiger represents Yin’s passive traits. Here, Soga Nichokuan has imbued the protagonists with quite a comical demeanor. While the dragon moves with energy and power, it is somewhat distracted; the tiger, in contrast, is distinctly uneasy and reluctant to leave the shelter of the bamboo. Extant records indicate that both Soga Nichokuan and Soga Chokuan were based in or nearby the port city of Sakai, south of Osaka. Nichokuan sometimes signed his name “the Sixth Generation from Shubun”, in light of the Soga school beginning in the early 15th century with Korean emigrant Ri Shubun. In addition, a document written by Nichokuan in 1656, accompanied by a set of hawk scrolls preserved at Horyu-ji temple, includes a lineage chart that ties Chokuan to Soga Jasoku. Both painters were highly respected and talented artists whose works are preserved in major temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan to this day. Nichokuan was succeeded by a number of painters, including Sanchokuan and Tamura Chokuou. Later artists who claimed descent from Soga Jasoku include Soga Shohaku (1730-81). Paintings by Soga Nichokuan are held at Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto, Fumon-in in Wakayama, and Kosan-ji and Choen-ji in Hiroshima. Works by both Chokuan and Nicokuan are also preserved at a number of temples on Mount Koya in Wakayama. The pair of screens by Nichokuan held at Daitoku-ji temple is registered as an Important Cultural Property. In 1989, an important exhibition with an accompanying catalogue was held in Nara. It was dedicated to the screen and scroll paintings of Soga Chokuan and Nichokuan. Paintings of Soga Chokuan and Nichokuan; Elizabeth Ann Lillehoj, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art (1989).

Dimensions:
Height: 85 in (215.9 cm)Width: 29 in (73.66 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
Style:
Edo (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
Mid-17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1650
Condition:
Minor losses. The paintings were recently restored and remounted in Kyoto. There are losses to the paper and some areas of in-painting.
Seller Location:
Kyoto, JP
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2472319064892

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