Collaborative Scroll Attributed to Ike No Taiga (池大雅) and Hamuroyama Sōshūmin (葉室山僧脩民)

[Iaido dude]

I would be grateful for a translation and for any confirmation of the seals for Ike no Taiga (1723-1776), a leading figure of the literati painting (Nanga) movement that was deeply intwined with Sencha tea culture introduced from China. This is the only work attributed to him in my collection and hangs in my clinic office. I don't have enough experience with the calligraphy style of Ike no Taiga to discern whether he brushed this work. During the course of his career, he used different artist names that are reflected in the seals found on his works.

 

It also seems like the attribution is reversed—Hamuroyama Sōshūmin is the calligrapher and Ike no Taiga is the painter. 

 

The painting appears to have been done by a member of the Hamuro family that converted to Obaku Zen and rebuilt a family temple Jōjū-ji (浄住寺 dating to the 9th century) in Kyoto as an Obaku temple in 1689--a temple whose formal mountain name is Hamuro-san (葉室山). The Obaku monk Tetsugyu Doki became its founding restorer (kaisan). The only relationship that I could find between the collaborating painter Hamuroyama Sōshūmin (葉室山僧脩民) and Ike no Taiga has to do with their affiliated temples--Jōjū-ji (Obaku sect) and Jōkō-ji (浄光寺 Shodo sect) where Taiga is buried--which are situated directly adjacent to each other in the same temple district in Kamigyō Ward, Kyoto. A stone marker at Jōkō-ji, erected in 1777, reads "Ike no Taiga Cemetery Path" (池大雅墳墓道). Although a lay painter and calligrapher, Ike no Taiga had a lifelong connection with the important Obaku temple Manpuku-ji, where he received instruction in calligraphy and Buddhism starting at age 6. 

 

Although there is not much available biographical source material for Hamuroyama Sōshūmin, the historical context strongly suggests a plausible tie. They were neighbors in the same temple district, participants in the same Sencha-infused literati culture, and members of a social network that included artists and Zen clergy. The monk would represent the exact type of cultured, tea-drinking cleric with whom a painter like Taiga would naturally have interacted.

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Edited May 17 by Iaido dude

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

(Saving this to ask at my next calligraphy class XD)

[SteveM]

Seals for the calligraphy are:

 

top left: 臨済正宗　(Rinzai Seishu)

bottom right, upper seal: 黄檗主人 (Ōbaku shujin) 

bottom right, lower seal 大雅法印 (Taiga-hō-no-in)

[Iaido dude]

Thanks, Steve. The top left seal is surprising, since it suggests that Hamuroyama Sōshūmin was the calligrapher and a Rinzai monk, which isn't consistent with him being a an Obaku monk. It's always possible that he was from the Hamuro family that rebuilt Joju-ji as an Obaku temple, but that he became a Rinzai monk instead. 

 

The seals on the bottom right indicate that the painter was affiliated with the Obaku. One translation of 大雅法印 is "Taiga's Dharma Seal" or "Taiga's Seal of the Dharma." I am looking into the appendix of an exhibition book for a compendium of the many seals that Ike no Taiga used and studying his painting style for similar examples of his art that can help establish whether he was the painter.

Edited May 19 by Iaido dude

[SteveM]

I'm not very well-versed in these things, but Wikipedia tells me that the Obaku school considered themselves a kind of orthodox version of Chinese Zen, hence the use of "Rinzai Seishu" in not only this seal, but in others I saw online while fishing around. 

 

There are a few other examples on the calligraphy at the site below

https://note.com/hakubutsu/n/n2fba5de59e7a

 

"Taiga-hō" ...I just assumed "hō" (法) was the same as sometimes seen in swordsmith signatures, and represents having achieved a certain level of study/enlightenment, but again, I'm out of my zone of experience here. 

 

Just to clarify, the three seals I mentioned above are the ones on the calligraphy (text), and not the ones on the depiction of the seated figure. So the seal with Taiga in it is attached to the text. The seals on the figure are 葉室山主 (Hamuro-san shu) and 檗僧半囗 (can't read the final one...looks like 霞 or something). 

[Iaido dude]

The Obaku did consider themselves the true bearers of the mind seal all the way back to Rinzai, often using seals that identify which generation they are in relation to Rinzai, even though they have an admixed practice of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism (e.g. practice of chanting of the name of Guanyin), which Hakuin Ekaku considered a deviation from the true practice. Those of us who practice Rinzai Zen actually all trace back to Hakuin as a monumental reformer who returned Zen practice to the original Rinzai focus on koan study. These religious movements are really important in doing attribution of Japanese arts and crafts and can provide useful clues and even conclusive evidence.

 

So far, it seems, the calligraphy may have been done by Ike no Taiga. I just don't know if the brushwork is consistent with his style. It seems a bit crude. 

Edited May 20 by Iaido dude

[Iaido dude]

Baby Joe, I wonder if you've had a chance to ask about translation at calligraphy class. Thanks.

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

20 hours ago, Iaido dude said:

Baby Joe, I wonder if you've had a chance to ask about translation at calligraphy class. Thanks.

 

Hi! I have been reminding myself of my promise every day, but not being able to go because of my procrastination......

 

No time better than today! (last class attended was at 12th, May, the procrastination is getting worse......

 

Edits: Waiting for deciphering now!

[Iaido dude]

No worries. I know the feeling of procrastination....!

 

I wonder if the kanji on the box lid might also shed some light on the work calligraphy/painting collaboration. It's likely a commentary or attestation of the work.

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

 

Very rough version, I'm going back to class to get a finer version soon.

 

黄檗山之大雄挥题

 

海增深

 

伦?公O华?现瑞O

 

音(or 晋?)大揮妙用度生

 

安座巖上静观书 (Sitting on rock/mountain, reading books in peace.)

 

I'm not very well right now, but please keep in mind that I'm not forgetting this project, and I will return to this orz 

[Iaido dude]

I really do appreciate your efforts. Please take your time. Hope you feel better soon.

 

From your initial translation and some help from AI, I think that the translation of this poem in 7-7-7-3 is something like:

 

安坐巖上静观必 sitting peacefully on a cliff, one must observe quietly and reflect deeply

音大揮妙用度生 the wondrous power of hearing and seeing that saves sentient beings

所么是养沉满好 what does it mean to cultivate a composed and steady temperament?

海增深 the sea's greater depths

 

葉室山(之大雅)挥题 calligraphy by (Taiga of) Hamuroyama

 

This makes perfect sense as a poem to accompany a Kannon painting.

 

What is mysterious is that the entire work seems to relate to Hamuroyama in some manner. Not sure if this implicates Ike no Taiga or if 大雅 (Ike's art name), is simply being used as the adjective "grand elegance" in reference to Hamuroyama. Ike no Taiga is not known to have ever signed a work with "Hamuroyama." The calligrapher could be a monk from Hamuroyama using Taiga as an art name.

 

Going back to the seals for the calligraphy that Steve translated, it seems that the upper seal "Rinzai Seishu" (臨済正宗) means "True Lineage of Rinzai," which was used by Obaku monks to legitimize their lineage back to Línjì Yìxuán (Rinzai Gigen; died 866 CE), who was a Tang dynasty Chinese monk and teacher of the Hongzhou school of Ch'an (Zen). All Japanese Zen sects and their continued lineage trace back to Linji. The lower seal is "Ōbaku shujin" (黄檗主人), meaning "Ōbaku Master."

 

Hamuroyama Sōshūmin, which was the attribution for the painting could simply mean Monk Shūmin of Hamuroyama. The signature of the painting is: 葉室山僧脩民拜寫 (respectfully written by monk Shūmin of Hamuroyama). The top seal is 葉室山主 (Hamuro-san shu). The bottom seal is less clear, possibly 檗僧半霞 as suggested by Steve.

 

I'm going to work on the box lid, which can probably shed more light.

Edited June 6 by Iaido dude