YOSHIO, Yasumasa 吉尾泰雅.

Three long illustrated scrolls, the first two entitled on gold-paper labels on outside: “Shōyōfu zukai” 性容譜図解 [“Secrets of the Seizan goryū School of Flower Arranging, Illustrated & Explained”]; third scroll entitled on its gold-paper label “Kudenfu kikigaki zushiki” 傳譜聞書図式 [“Information Passed Down by Mouth, Written & Illustrated”].

301 fine drawings, mostly in color. Written & drawn on tissue paper, which has been laid-down on thick scroll paper. Three scrolls (180 x 12,270, 11,110, & 12,440 mm.), outer front green-silk endpapers, inner front endpapers of silver, gold-paper manuscript title labels, each with wooden core roller. Japan: at end of each scroll we find (in rough trans.): “Secret Information in these scrolls was given by Keigetsu’en 桂月園 [artist name for Yoshio Yasumasa], Illustrated & Explained, Copied with Permission by disciple Ryūgakutei 龍岳亭,” late 18th or early 19th century.

These three finely illustrated scrolls are an encyclopedia of flower arranging (ikebana) as practiced by the Seizan (or Aoyama) school, founded in the Kamakura era (1185-1333) by courtier Sono Motouji 園基氏, who served Emperor Go-Horikawa (1212-34). The school grew in popularity and thrives today. Our scrolls present in great detail, both in text and illustration, all the complex considerations of ikebana.

Yoshio (active 1789-1823) was an influential practitioner of the Seizan school of ikebana and published in 1789 Ikebanazu taisei 活花圖大成 [Collection of Ikebana Illustrated] in two volumes and in 1800 Seizan goryū ikebana tebikigusa 青山御流 活花手引種 [Seizan School, Flower Arranging Method]. Both of these works contain only black & white illustrations.

Our first scroll contains 91 fine drawings, mostly in color, depicting the flowers and branches of various trees and plants (plum and peach trees, camellias, peonies, irises, willows, cherry and crab apple trees, azaleas, loquats, various grasses, etc.) with instructions on how to shape the branches and place their flowers for maximum understated aesthetic effect. The text, which is very well organized, makes many suggestions, teaching how to select the materials by species and season. For instance, the author states that there are two basic shapes of camellia branches with a number of variations, which he describes and illustrates. Peach tree branches have two basic shapes and three further variations.

Scroll Two discusses and illustrates in 91 fine color drawings how to arrange chrysanthemums of various sizes, asters, leopard lilies, bullrushes, nandina, vine plants, bush clover, yellow water lilies, orchids, bamboo, maple branches, and narcissus (especially how to assemble their leaves and flowers). The author also discusses seasonality and combinations of various flowers.

The third scroll, with 134 fine mostly color drawings, discusses, illustrates, and names the many kinds of bamboo vases, the “Three Friends of Winter” (pine, bamboo, and plum), omoto plants (and their evergreen qualities), the meanings of various angles of arranged leaves and flowers, appropriate balance of lengths of branches, the concept of balance as expressed by shin gyō sō (the three levels of design formality in floral art), displays for weddings using male and female pine branches, etc.

A few minor defects, but in fine condition. Preserved in an old wooden box with an inscription on upper cover (in trans.): “Illustrated Scrolls with Text, Ryūgakutei.”.

Price: $7,500.00

Item ID: 11549