TORII KIYONAGA (1752-1815) and UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI (1769-1825)

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The Beauty of Negoro Kawada Sadamu Fragments of ceremonial utensils and hair ornaments, excavated from early Jomon-period archaeological sites, suggest that red lacquerware has been produced in Japan since as early as 4,500- 3,000 BC, but it is not until the late 9th century AD that Buddhist temple inventories record the existence of a variety of red-lacquered utensils that were manufactured in substantial quantities. Since no examples of these early wares have survived we unfortunately have no idea of their physical appearance, but narrative paintings from around the 12th century, including the Genji monogatari [Tale of Genji] and Shigisan engi [Origins of the Shigisan temple] scrolls, depict scenes in which red-lacquer wares are employed in aristocratic residences, implying that they were already popular among the nobility by that date, and that their use was no longer limited to temples and shrines. It can be assumed, however, that red-lacquer utensils were still out of the reach of the common people, largely due to the high cost of shu [cinnabar], the expensive colouring agent used in its manufacture. Early in the 13th century, red lacquer gradually became more widely available as an everyday ware, thanks to increased cinnabar production and rising imports from China. The massive temple compounds of the day, built in response to the growing success of populist Buddhist sects, included many sub-temples and lodgings requiring a huge number of practical utensils for both monks and lay believers. The Negoro temple is a typical example of such a medieval religious complex, where a high level of demand, coupled with location in an isolated mountainous region, encouraged the development of a self-sufficient lacquer industry. Lacquerware of good quality but low price was produced in organised studios at the temple and was widely distributed, bringing appreciation of it to other areas. This is the origin of 'Negoro' lacquer. The term Negoro-nuri [Negoro lacquer] should not be confined to red-lacquered items, but since Buddhist temples traditionally used red-lacquered utensils, there is little doubt that the majority of lacquer items produced at the Negoro temple were red in colour. Although Negoro-nuri originally referred only to lacquerware produced at the Negoro temple, it is now applied to all similar lacquerwares of comparably high quality, irrespective of their place of production. This use of 'Negoro' as a term of approbation demonstrates just how highly lacquerwares made during the temple's heyday were esteemed for their combination of utility and beauty. Put at their simplest, the chief characteristics of the red lacquerware we call 'Negoro' are ability to withstand frequent use, beauty of form and the manner in which this beauty is enhanced by the combination of an undercoat of black lacquer and a final coat of red lacquer. Careful selection of materials in conformity with function is indispensable for solidity, but the solidity of Negoro lacquer does not derive merely from the strength of the materials used in its manufacture. These functional, easy-to-use objects were made to look beautiful, and because they were beautiful they were used. They were designed with the needs of their future users in mind and their creators' determination to make them both as practical and as attractive as possible only served to enhance their formal strength and refined aesthetic. The objects generally described as 'Negoro' are of many different types, but all of them were designed for actual day-to-day use. Negoro lacquer was never produced solely for aesthetic admiration and is never adorned with excessive decoration that would compromise its functionality. Rather, it is characterised by simplicity and clarity. Negoro ware's three most distinctive qualities - its feeling of strength, born of its simple shapes and its black and red hues, the warmth of its lacquered surfaces, and its use of timber, a material that has been totally assimilated into Japanese life - blend to produce an aesthetic that both reflects the traditional genius for sculptural form and possesses a powerful appeal for contemporary viewers. The lacquered surface epitomises the beauty of Negoro. Red and black lacquer creates an ever-changing beauty that can only be brought out through use and is transfigured by the passage of time. Features such as wear, cracks, damage, splits, traces of the brush used for lacquering, and even flaws in both wood and textile covering due to shrinkage caused by dryness can all help to enhance the ineffable, harmonious beauty of the surface of Negoro lacquer. It is precisely because of this sense of a mature beauty enhanced by the passing of the centuries that Negoro lacquer is so appreciated by tea masters and admired by people of refined taste. Kawada Sadamu is a Professor at the Graduate School of Humanities, Tezukayama University, Nara, Japan PRINTS VARIOUS PROPERTIES

細節

TORII KIYONAGA (1752-1815) and UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI (1769-1825)
The first from a Furyu juni [Fashionable twelve] series, an elegant young man offers a light to one of two girls standing underneath a wistaria arbour, signed Kiyonaga ga, the second from the series Furyu juni tsuki [Fashionable twelve months], a young woman seated holding a long pipe, signed Toyokuni ga, both very good impressions, colours faded, good condition
Chuban: 9½ x 6¾in. (24.1 x 17.1cm.) and 10 7/16 x 7¾in. (26.5 x 19.6cm.) respectively (2)

來源

The first Anderson sale, June 1925

出版

The first is illustrated in Chie Hirano, Kiyonaga: A Study of his Life and Works (Cambridge, Mass., published for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, by the Harvard University Press, 1939), no. 194.

注意事項

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.