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拍品專文
This screen comes from the collection of the remarkable New York art dealer Leighton R. Longhi (1945–2024). Longhi specialized in fine Japanese screens and appreciated what he called their “wall power.” In 2019 he featured this rare work in his impressive legacy volume, Forty-five Years in Asian Art (p. 135, plate 48).
The following essay about the Longhi fan screen, written by Namiki Seishi, a graduate of Kyoto University and professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, was published in Shubi vol. 4 (Summer 2012):111–15. Namiki speculates that the fans, painted on silk by a Kano-school artist, may date from the early sixteenth century, or even earlier. They were presumably treasured and saved by a collector. Then, in the Edo period, they were carefully pasted onto the paper ground of a screen with a decorative landscape background and glittering gold clouds. The result is an unusual contrast between the subdued, conservative Chinese style of the fans and the bold, colorful Japanese landscape backdrop. Namiki writes:
Japanese fan paintings are known from as early as the twelfth century, the late Heian period. Fans were used not only to enjoy a cooling breeze but served many other functions, as well. Paintings on fans may be considered a form of art that is most intimately intertwined with our daily lives.
The screen shown here holds a very special position in this country’s long tradition of fan-painting connoisseurship. A single, six-panel screen, it features fifteen fan-shaped paintings, some with a seal by an artist named Hidematsu, pasted onto a background of waves and distant mountains. The paintings may be categorized by medium—three ink paintings and twelve colored paintings—and by theme—two figure paintings (both in ink), one fish, one mythological beast, and twelve flower-and-bird paintings.
All fan paintings are on what appears to be the same silk, leading us to conclude that they date from the same time. The background painting, on the other hand, appears to date from the late seventeenth to eighteenth century.
First, I would like to highlight the choice of silk as the medium for these fans, as it is the most distinctive characteristic of the screen. Most fan paintings are on paper. While the earliest surviving fans were made of wood, notably cypress, artists later turned to paper; silk fans are extremely rare. As the art historian Miyajima Shinichi has pointed out, in the late fifteenth century, Chinese fans, or Chinese-style fans, were thought to be made of silk. In his essay "Fan Paintings (Medieval)," in Nihon no Bijitsu, vol. 320 (1993), Miyajima references a poetry anthology by Osen Keisan (1429–1493), the Hoan Keika Zenshu (補菴京華前集). Keisan wrote, “(Fans) Tang-dynasty fans are made of silk, decorated with plum blossoms.” Based on that, Keisan composed the following poem: This Jiangnan 江南 painting comes with a branch of plum blossoms. Don’t say the silk is too thin, for it harbors the springtime of the great Tang dynasty.
In short, we know that in the late fifteenth century, Chinese fans, or Chinese-style fans, were thought to be made of silk. Additionally, the fact that silk is singled out for mention in Keisan’s poem suggests that silk fans were rare.
The fans on the Hidematsu screen are made of Ashikaga silk (足利絹), a type of silk with relatively coarse texture and diagonal weave. In silk used for paintings, the weave typically runs vertically and horizontally. In this work, however, the diagonal alignment of the silk weave can be attributed to the fan-shaped compositions. Nonetheless, there are no other examples of this phenomenon. As the fans on the Hidematsu screen show no fold marks, it is unlikely that they were ever used. Furthermore, the fact that all fifteen fan surfaces consistently have diagonal silk weaves, and that some have compositions designed specifically with the fan shape in mind, makes it difficult to imagine that these paintings were cut from pre-existing works of a different format.
This screen is valuable as one of the few surviving examples of silk fans and, notably, as a work dating from the medieval period. The fifteen fans measure at highest 19.9 cm, and widest 49.1 cm.
First, let’s look at the three fans painted in ink. All three use a technique that does not emphasize brush power, but rather captures the subject matter through overlapping, fine brushstrokes. There is generous use of ink wash, with the overall tone of the ink being light and showing little contrast in the gradation of light and dark. Fan G follows the tradition of "waterweed and fish paintings" (藻魚図) that were popular during China's Yuan dynasty. These three ink paintings thus appear archaicizing when compared with typical sixteenth-century Japanese fan paintings in ink.
The colored fan paintings are of two types. One uses bold arrangements of gold-leaf clouds that sometimes obscure parts of the plants (as seen in fan O). The other, without gold clouds, places the subject prominently in the center (as seen in fan A). There are six fans in each category. Fans without gold-leaf clouds appear to have more delicate coloring and finer detail. Those with gold-leaf clouds seem somewhat less refined. The application of gold-leaf clouds on silk is rare, and the gold clouds themselves appear a bit rough.
As for the artist, eight fans bear a seal reading “Hidematsu.” Although difficult to decipher due to damage to the silk, the red seals are in the shape of an urn and include the characters 秀松 (Hidematsu). Urn-shaped seals were used by Kano-school artists.
The Hidematsu seal is listed in the seventeenth-century Koga Biko (Notes on old paintings). The entry for Kazoku Hidematsu (家続秀松) references the Honcho Gashi (History of Japanese painting) as the source, stating that the artist "painted flowers, birds and fruit with vivid and refined colors, and was a student of Yusei Motonobu 祐勢元信. Furthermore, in the Shoun Hikki (Shoun's notes), he is also described as a disciple of Yusei (祐勢門人). Additionally, the section titled Seitoku Ko 成徳考 (Study of Seitoku) notes that "Hidematsu was the third son of Kano Shoei, named Genshiro 秀松 松栄三男源七郎.”
In other words, there are two theories regarding Hidematsu's lineage: one is that he was a disciple of the early sixteenth-century Kano artists Masanobu and Motonobu and the other is that he was the third son of Kano Shoei (1519–1592). Chronologically, the former places him around 1500, while the latter places him after the mid-sixteenth century. As I mentioned, the Hidematsu screen demonstrates a more archaic style than most sixteenth-century Kano-school fan paintings. Based on the above evidence, it seems appropriate to consider Hidematsu as a disciple of Kano Masanobu.
However, considering the archaic nature of the expression and the unique characteristic of being silk-based fan paintings with no known parallels, there is a possibility that the date of the paintings might be pushed back even further. Furthermore, based on differences in stylistic expression and the presence or absence of seals, it might be necessary to consider an intentional differentiation between front and back sides of each fan. In any case, this screen is an extremely valuable work for the study of fan paintings.
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Appendix: the fan paintings list, reading from the right to left, up to down
A, Small bird on flowering branch, Color, With Seal, No gold leaf
B, Yellow aibika, Color, No Seal, With gold leaf
C, Men viewing waterfall, Ink, With seal, No gold leaf
D, Basho autumn grasses, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
E, Peach, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
F, Quince flower, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
G, Carp in lotus pond, Ink, With seal, No gold leaf
H, Kirin, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
I, Camellia, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
J, Japanese snow flower and small bird, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
K, Man, crane and turtle, Ink and gold, With seal, No gold leaf
L, Chrysanthemum, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
M, Daylily, Color, No seal, No gold leaf
N, Peony, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
O, Morning glory, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
The following essay about the Longhi fan screen, written by Namiki Seishi, a graduate of Kyoto University and professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, was published in Shubi vol. 4 (Summer 2012):111–15. Namiki speculates that the fans, painted on silk by a Kano-school artist, may date from the early sixteenth century, or even earlier. They were presumably treasured and saved by a collector. Then, in the Edo period, they were carefully pasted onto the paper ground of a screen with a decorative landscape background and glittering gold clouds. The result is an unusual contrast between the subdued, conservative Chinese style of the fans and the bold, colorful Japanese landscape backdrop. Namiki writes:
Japanese fan paintings are known from as early as the twelfth century, the late Heian period. Fans were used not only to enjoy a cooling breeze but served many other functions, as well. Paintings on fans may be considered a form of art that is most intimately intertwined with our daily lives.
The screen shown here holds a very special position in this country’s long tradition of fan-painting connoisseurship. A single, six-panel screen, it features fifteen fan-shaped paintings, some with a seal by an artist named Hidematsu, pasted onto a background of waves and distant mountains. The paintings may be categorized by medium—three ink paintings and twelve colored paintings—and by theme—two figure paintings (both in ink), one fish, one mythological beast, and twelve flower-and-bird paintings.
All fan paintings are on what appears to be the same silk, leading us to conclude that they date from the same time. The background painting, on the other hand, appears to date from the late seventeenth to eighteenth century.
First, I would like to highlight the choice of silk as the medium for these fans, as it is the most distinctive characteristic of the screen. Most fan paintings are on paper. While the earliest surviving fans were made of wood, notably cypress, artists later turned to paper; silk fans are extremely rare. As the art historian Miyajima Shinichi has pointed out, in the late fifteenth century, Chinese fans, or Chinese-style fans, were thought to be made of silk. In his essay "Fan Paintings (Medieval)," in Nihon no Bijitsu, vol. 320 (1993), Miyajima references a poetry anthology by Osen Keisan (1429–1493), the Hoan Keika Zenshu (補菴京華前集). Keisan wrote, “(Fans) Tang-dynasty fans are made of silk, decorated with plum blossoms.” Based on that, Keisan composed the following poem: This Jiangnan 江南 painting comes with a branch of plum blossoms. Don’t say the silk is too thin, for it harbors the springtime of the great Tang dynasty.
In short, we know that in the late fifteenth century, Chinese fans, or Chinese-style fans, were thought to be made of silk. Additionally, the fact that silk is singled out for mention in Keisan’s poem suggests that silk fans were rare.
The fans on the Hidematsu screen are made of Ashikaga silk (足利絹), a type of silk with relatively coarse texture and diagonal weave. In silk used for paintings, the weave typically runs vertically and horizontally. In this work, however, the diagonal alignment of the silk weave can be attributed to the fan-shaped compositions. Nonetheless, there are no other examples of this phenomenon. As the fans on the Hidematsu screen show no fold marks, it is unlikely that they were ever used. Furthermore, the fact that all fifteen fan surfaces consistently have diagonal silk weaves, and that some have compositions designed specifically with the fan shape in mind, makes it difficult to imagine that these paintings were cut from pre-existing works of a different format.
This screen is valuable as one of the few surviving examples of silk fans and, notably, as a work dating from the medieval period. The fifteen fans measure at highest 19.9 cm, and widest 49.1 cm.
First, let’s look at the three fans painted in ink. All three use a technique that does not emphasize brush power, but rather captures the subject matter through overlapping, fine brushstrokes. There is generous use of ink wash, with the overall tone of the ink being light and showing little contrast in the gradation of light and dark. Fan G follows the tradition of "waterweed and fish paintings" (藻魚図) that were popular during China's Yuan dynasty. These three ink paintings thus appear archaicizing when compared with typical sixteenth-century Japanese fan paintings in ink.
The colored fan paintings are of two types. One uses bold arrangements of gold-leaf clouds that sometimes obscure parts of the plants (as seen in fan O). The other, without gold clouds, places the subject prominently in the center (as seen in fan A). There are six fans in each category. Fans without gold-leaf clouds appear to have more delicate coloring and finer detail. Those with gold-leaf clouds seem somewhat less refined. The application of gold-leaf clouds on silk is rare, and the gold clouds themselves appear a bit rough.
As for the artist, eight fans bear a seal reading “Hidematsu.” Although difficult to decipher due to damage to the silk, the red seals are in the shape of an urn and include the characters 秀松 (Hidematsu). Urn-shaped seals were used by Kano-school artists.
The Hidematsu seal is listed in the seventeenth-century Koga Biko (Notes on old paintings). The entry for Kazoku Hidematsu (家続秀松) references the Honcho Gashi (History of Japanese painting) as the source, stating that the artist "painted flowers, birds and fruit with vivid and refined colors, and was a student of Yusei Motonobu 祐勢元信. Furthermore, in the Shoun Hikki (Shoun's notes), he is also described as a disciple of Yusei (祐勢門人). Additionally, the section titled Seitoku Ko 成徳考 (Study of Seitoku) notes that "Hidematsu was the third son of Kano Shoei, named Genshiro 秀松 松栄三男源七郎.”
In other words, there are two theories regarding Hidematsu's lineage: one is that he was a disciple of the early sixteenth-century Kano artists Masanobu and Motonobu and the other is that he was the third son of Kano Shoei (1519–1592). Chronologically, the former places him around 1500, while the latter places him after the mid-sixteenth century. As I mentioned, the Hidematsu screen demonstrates a more archaic style than most sixteenth-century Kano-school fan paintings. Based on the above evidence, it seems appropriate to consider Hidematsu as a disciple of Kano Masanobu.
However, considering the archaic nature of the expression and the unique characteristic of being silk-based fan paintings with no known parallels, there is a possibility that the date of the paintings might be pushed back even further. Furthermore, based on differences in stylistic expression and the presence or absence of seals, it might be necessary to consider an intentional differentiation between front and back sides of each fan. In any case, this screen is an extremely valuable work for the study of fan paintings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix: the fan paintings list, reading from the right to left, up to down
A, Small bird on flowering branch, Color, With Seal, No gold leaf
B, Yellow aibika, Color, No Seal, With gold leaf
C, Men viewing waterfall, Ink, With seal, No gold leaf
D, Basho autumn grasses, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
E, Peach, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
F, Quince flower, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
G, Carp in lotus pond, Ink, With seal, No gold leaf
H, Kirin, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
I, Camellia, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
J, Japanese snow flower and small bird, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
K, Man, crane and turtle, Ink and gold, With seal, No gold leaf
L, Chrysanthemum, Color, No seal, With gold leaf
M, Daylily, Color, No seal, No gold leaf
N, Peony, Color, With seal, No gold leaf
O, Morning glory, Color, No seal, With gold leaf