Genji Monogatari Sekiya Chapter Themed Ayanokoji Nagamine Fuchi/Kashira

[zanilu]

Dear all

I just wanted to share one of my latest acquisition.

 

 

Dimensions:

• Fuchi 38.3 mm  x 21.9 mm. thickness 12.5 mm.
• Kashira: 34.7 mm x 16.6 mm. thickness  9.8mm.

 

It is a fuchi-kashira signed "Nagamine [Kao]" (永峯 [花押]) it is not papered but the signature, the quality of the execution and the composition of the subject fully fit into the caractersitics of the school as outlined in my summary of the Ayanokōji Nagamine school (https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/files/file/122-the-school-of-ayanok%C5%8Dji-nagamine/).

 

The fuchi shows some wear of the patina and the nanako ground but the conditions are farely good. 

 

On the omote (表) side of the fuchi (縁), an ox-drawn gosho-guruma (御所車) is shown against a landscape of pine trees and hills. The carriage is accompanied by attendants dressed in what looks like Heian clothing. The figure at the front is wearing a tachi (太刀).

In ancient and medieval Kyoto, members of the imperial family and the aristocracy commonly travelled in ox-drawn carriages known as gosho-guruma (御所車). The presence of a gosho-guruma, particularly with its bamboo blinds lowered, conventionally suggests that a person of high rank - often an elegant lady, nobleman, or member of the imperial family - is inside the carriage.

On the kashira (頭), a group of similarly dressed figures is shown standing in front of a fence or palisade with a gate. This architectural detail is particularly important for identifying the subject of the composition.

There are two chapters of The Tale of Genji (源氏物語, Genji Monogatari) whose narratives could potentially correspond to the scenes depicted on this fuchi-kashira set. The first is Chapter 14, Miotsukushi (澪標, "Channel Buoys"), and the second is Chapter 16, Sekiya (関屋, "The Gatehouse").

In Miotsukushi, Genji encounters the Lady of Akashi at the entrance to Sumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社). In Sekiya, Genji encounters Utsusemi (空蝉) at the Ōsaka Barrier (逢坂関).

There is a particularly relevant pair of folding screens (byōbu, 屏風) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu (俵屋宗達), Tokyo National Museum, dating from the seventeenth century, which depicts precisely these two episodes.

 

Miotsukushi Chapter 16

 

Sekiya Chapter 14

 

The screen representing the Sekiya episode clearly shows a gate whose form is remarkably similar to that depicted on the kashira of this fuchi-kashira set.

This architectural detail provides an important clue. Although the general subject of the fuchi-kashira could initially be interpreted as either Miotsukushi or Sekiya, the presence of the distinctive gate strongly favors Sekiya as the intended theme.

 

I hope you enjoy this fuchi-kashira set as I do.

 

Regards
Luca

[Justin]

Hi Luca,

 

A really nice set of fuchi-kashira. Well done!

 

The general workmanship is great, especially the nanako. I also really like the design of the shitodome.

 

There were two generations of Nagamine 永峯. The first was born around 1690 and the second around 1715. Ayanokoji is the area of Kyoto where these two artists lived. They mostly made F-K in the Soten style.

 

You might be able to determine which generation made them by looking the kao in published examples. From what I can see in Hawley's, published examples appear in the Red Cross book (pg. 190, #1257) and the Baur Collection (pg. 434, #380). I'll have a look a both books tomorrow and see if we can determine which generation made your F-K (likely the first generation in my opinion).

 

 

[Justin]

Mei example from Baur Collection.

 

[zanilu]

Hi Justin, thank you.

 

Actually there are at least 6 significantly different signature and 12 type of different kao.

I did some research on this school that I tried to summarize here (The School of Ayanokōji Nagamine) my impression is that there was a sort of organized workshop creating Goto like pieces more than Soten like. But that is just my opinion but what do I know? 

 

Regards

Luca

 

[Justin]

Wow!! What a great article. You have put alot of work into that. Well done.

 

I should write something similar up for some of my pieces. You have inspired me Luca 

 

Congrats on picking up the fuchi-kashira set. Very nice!