Lot 343
Issaku Sozan (Japanese, active during the early 20th century). Landscape with Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Acrylic on silver leaf rice paper, ca. 1930. Signed in lower right corner. A magnificent 4-panel folding screen painting by Issaku Sozan depicting the rolling hills and lush cherry blossoms that surround Kiyomizu-dera, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto translating to "Pure Water Monastery," all on silver leaf rice paper. The sacred building rises up from the foothills of Mount Otowa; its sloping rooftops forming narrow peaks that echo the jagged rock formations of the terrain, while the geometric aesthetic of the architecture beautifully complements the landscape's soft, floral blooms, spindly pines, and rounded hilltops. Founded in the early Heian period, Kyomizu-dura's current buildings were constructed in 1633 without a single nail used in the entire complex. Size (open): 36" L x 94.5" W (91.4 cm x 240 cm) Size (closed): 36" L x 24" W x 3.25" Deep (91.4 cm x 61 cm x 8.3 cm)
Kiyomizu-dera is now an UNESCO World Heritage site and includes several shrines, such as the Jisu Shrine dedicated to Okuhihushi, the god of love and "good matches," which consists of two "love stones" placed ten meters (thirty feet) apart that visitors must walk between with their eyes closed to imply they will find true love. Interestingly, the popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese translation of the English expression "to take the plunge," referring to an Edo-period tradition that held that if one were to survive a thirteen-meter (forty three-foot) jump from the stage, one's wish would be granted.
Provenance: private Evergreen, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA, collection, acquired 1960 to 2000
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#168662
- Condition: Signed at lower right. Normal darkening and surface wear with expected scratches, tears, punctures, losses, abrasions to peripheries of silver leaf rice paper square panels and slight abrasions/scuffs in other areas - all commensurate with age. Areas of separation to seam between the 2 center panels. The frame has several scuffs/scratches and nicks as shown; it is also embellished with attractive brass fittings that possess a warm age patina. The screen is fit with suspension hardware (probably added later) on the first and 4th panels.
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