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【重芁文化財】本阿匥光悊筆・俵屋宗達画 「鶎図䞋絵和歌巻」京郜囜立博物通蔵 / ColBase

Sotatsu Tawaraya

The forerunner of the “Rinpa” trend in Japanese art, which is characterized by refined composition and highly decorative qualities

 Dates of birth and death unknown. A painter active in Kyoto in the early Edo period (around 1603–1700). While his origins and biographical details remain unclear, he is believed to have supervised an eya (studio producing industrial craft paintings, such as ogi-e folding fan paintings and shita-e design sketches for dyed and woven textiles) called Tawaraya and to have had a deep level of interaction with cultural figures such as Mitsuhiro Karasumaru (1579–1638) and Koetsu Honami.

From around 1596 to 1624, Sotatsu produced many works with his underpaintings in kingin-dei gold and silver painting techniques on shikishi poem cards and waka-kan poem scrolls featuring calligraphy by Koetsu. An example of a work for which the date of production is clear is a reproduction Sotatsu made of the Saigyo Monogatari Emaki (“Illustrated Scrolls of the Tales of Saigyō”; Idemitsu Museum of Arts collection) in 1630. At this time, he had attained the rank of hokkyo (literally “dharma bridge,” a title conferred to physicians, artists, and literary figures as it would be to Buddhist monks).

Even while drawing on traditions of classical Japanese yamato-e painting, many of his works are characterized by highly decorative qualities, with their use of gold and silver, for example, and innovative composition. Representative works of his include Fujin Raijin-zu Byobu (“Wind God and Thunder God Folding Screen,” a National Treasure in the Kennin-ji Temple collection) and Tsuru-zu Shita-e Waka-kan (“Scroll Even while drawing on traditions of classical Japanese yamato-e painting, many of his works are characterized by highly decorative qualities, with their use of gold and silver, for example, and innovative composition. Representative works of his include Fujin Raijin-zu Byobu (“Wind God and Thunder God Folding Screen,” a National Treasure in the Kennin-ji Temple collection) and Tsuru-zu Shita-e Waka-kan (“Scroll with Waka and Underpainting of Cranes”). Also, the tarashikomi technique of dripping second layers of paint onto still-wet first layers is thought to have been an original innovation of his. He used the technique to produce many of his outstanding suibokuga (monochrome ink paintings), such as Renchi Suikin-zu (“Lotus Pond with Waterfowl,” a National Treasure).

In the mid-Edo period (1700–1750), Korin Ogata, who was a sincere admirer of Sotatsu, would follow his artistic style and develop it further. Today the gorgeous and decorative trend in Japanese painting created by Sotatsu and Korin is known as the Rinpa School.

Related People, Things and Events

Books

Related Works

Works by Sotatsu Tawaraya (including attributed works)

Studio of Sotatsu Tawaraya and Rinpa works

Past Exhibitions

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Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • As Japan’s representative museum, Tokyo National Museum collects, preserves, displays, and researches the cultural properties of Asia with a focus on Japan, and also provides educational programs.

  • Kyoto National Museum collects, preserves, displays, researches and provides educational programs focusing on cultural properties from Heian- through to Edo- period Japan, when the capital was located there.

  • 浅井長政の菩提を匔うため、長政の長女・淀殿 (茶々)の願いにより、豊臣秀吉が建立した寺院。重芁文化財の杉戞絵「癜象図杉戞」「唐獅子図杉戞」、襖絵「束図襖」を所蔵。杉戞絵は垞時公開しおおり、襖絵は特別公開時に鑑賞可胜。

  • 京郜垂東山区にある臚枈宗建仁寺掟の倧本山の寺院。囜宝「颚神雷神図屏颚」を所蔵し、特別展などで公開。建仁寺倧曞院では、本図の高粟现耇補䜜品を展瀺しおいる。

  • 出光興産の創業者・出光䜐䞉が蒐集した矎術品を所蔵・展瀺する矎術通。日本の曞画、䞭囜・日本の陶磁噚など東掋叀矎術品を䞭心ずした所蔵品を幎6回の展芧䌚で公開。俵屋宗達の重芁文化財「西行物語絵巻」をはじめずする宗達䜜品を所蔵する。

  • 山皮蚌刞創業者・山厎皮二が蒐集したコレクションをもずに、日本初の日本画専門矎術通ずしお開通。「鹿䞋絵新叀今集和歌巻断簡」「四季草花䞋絵和歌短冊垖」などの宗達䜜品を所蔵する。

  • 実業家・现芋叀銙庵に始たる现芋家䞉代の蒐集品を基瀎ずした矎術通。玄1,000点に及ぶ日本矎術コレクションを所蔵し、倚圩な䌁画展を展開する。俵屋宗達、尟圢光琳、酒井抱䞀、鈎朚其䞀など琳掟の䜜品が充実しおおり、床々琳掟展を開催。

  • 文化庁が運営する日本の文化遺産に぀いおのポヌタルサむト。 東京囜立博物通、山皮矎術通、東京芞術倧孊倧孊矎術通などに所蔵されおいる俵屋宗達の䜜品情報を閲芧可胜。

  • 囜立囜䌚図曞通に収蔵されおいる資料を玐解きながら、琳掟の流れの呚蟺を玹介。

References

  1. 日立デゞタル平凡瀟,平凡瀟
  2. 蟻惟雄, 泉歊倫, 山䞋裕二, 板倉聖哲 線集委員,小孊通
  3. 村重寧 著,東京矎術
  4. 叀田亮 著,平凡瀟近代日本矎術研究の立堎から,宗達芞術の゚ッセンス,琳掟画家ずの盞違,海倖の画家ずの類䌌に぀いお鋭く指摘。図版倚数掲茉。(日本児童図曞出版協䌚)