The Golden Journey: Japanese Art from Australian Collections

T HE G OLDEN J OURNEY
    
The works of art appearing in the exhibition The Golden Journey: Japanese Art from Australian Collections cover the
period from early in the first millenium to the twentieth century. The works represent an array of art including
Buddhist and Shinto art; screen, hanging scroll and fan painting; and woodblock prints and decorative arts
including armour, ceramics, enamelware, lacquerware, metalware and theatre costume.
The learning experiences presented in this resource are designed to encourage students to take a closer look
at selected works of art, and explore the key concepts associated with Japanese art and culture. Much of the
information for this resource has been derived from the publication The Golden Journey: Japanese Art from
Australian Collections by James Bennett and Amy Reigle Newland (Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide).
Words given in bold (first use) in this education resource appear in the Glossary.
Students may find the following Chronology useful.
Japan China
Yayoi period (400 BCE–250)
Song dynasty (960–1279)
Jōmon period (10,000–400 BCE)
Kofun or Tumulus period (250–552)
Asuka period (552–710)
Nara period (710–94)
Heian period (794–1185)
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Muromachi period (1333–1573)
Tang dynasty (618–907)
Northern Song (960–1127)
Southern Song (1127–1279)
Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Qing dynasty (1644–1912)
Nanbokuchō period (Southern &
Northern courts) (1333–92)
Warring states period (Sengoku) (1467–1573)
(Azuchi-) Momoyama period (1573–1615)
Edo period (1615–1868)
Meiji era (1868–1912)
Taishō period (1912–26)
Shōwa period (1926–89)
Heisei period (1989–present)
Connecting to the curriculum
This education resource can be adapted for different contexts and year levels. It has been designed to integrate the SACSA
Essential Learnings, and links most directly to:
• Arts – Visual Arts: ‘Arts in contexts’
• Society and Environment: ‘Societies and cultures’ and ‘Time, continuity and change’
• Languages: ‘Understanding and appreciation of the cultural contexts in which [Language] is used’.
R ecommended pre-visit learning: guide for teachers
• Ask questions: What do students already know? What do I want students to find out?
• Introduce students to the geography of Japan. Investigate Japanese culture including rituals and timelines.
• Discuss the dating terminology used in the exhibition: BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Look at the Chronology provided in the education resource.
• Introduce details about the Buddhist and Shinto religions.
• Consider the history and importance of Ukiyo-e and Japanese woodblock printing.
• Introduce students to the role of calligraphy and calligraphers in Japanese art and society.
A t the exhibition
As bag storage is limited please bring only essentials such as medications and food. Discuss Art Gallery of South Australia
expectations in relation to school visits, particularly the guidelines for students:
• Students should stay with their group, unless given instruction to move away for a specific activity.
• Students should walk safely around the precious works of art and enjoy looking without touching.
• Talking is an important part of learning, but students should remember to use quiet voices.
Duration: Groups will need a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour in the exhibition.
G uided sessions
Guided sessions provided by the Education Officer and /or Education Guides are available.
These introductory sessions are around 30–45 minutes duration. Guided session students will be taken through a ‘learning to
look’ process using selected works from the education resource. Reference will be made to aspects of technical production of a
variety of forms, and to themes, styles and periods. The content (eg. historical detail or folk stories) of particular works will also
be introduced. This focus does not include extended historical or cultural frameworks. Where a guided session is not possible
or not required, sections of this resource can be adapted to support a self-guided session. When making a booking please advise
whether you require guided support for your visit.
Bookings & exhibition entry
•
•
An entry fee (schools concession) applies to this exhibition: $20 per class size group. Supervising teachers/adults free
admission.
DECS Classified 1–4, AISS listed disadvantaged schools and all country schools free admission.
All group bookings tel: 8207 7033, fax 8207 7070
Email: [email protected]
This education resource has been made possible through the partnership between the Art Gallery of South Australia
(Arts SA) and Outreach Education (Department of Education and Children’s Services). Outreach Education
is a team of DECS educators seconded to public organisations.
A llegory III
Toshikatsu Endo, born 1950
Allegory III, 1988, Saitama, Japan
wood, fire, air, water, tar
South Australian Government Grant 1991
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Questions and Activities
The contemporary Japanese sculptor, Toshikatsu Endo,
made this canoe, floated it on a lake in Japan, then set it
alight. The photographs above the work of art show these
stages in the work’s creation. Endo has included the four
elements in his work as part of the creative process: fire, water,
earth and air. He has reversed the usual reality of a canoe
being on the water, by placing the water inside the canoe.
We are used to seeing these things move, but here, both the
canoe, and the water, are still. This is unsettling and puzzling.
The artist has chosen to combine materials not normally used
together to create new meanings.
The powerful elements of water and fire can bring both
life and death. By combining them in this work Endo invites
us to think about questions of human existence. The flames
that engulfed the canoe also seem to be the same flames that
surround a coffin during cremation. This work of art is among
the most popular on display in the Art Gallery of South
Australia.
Primary
• What did you think or feel when you first saw this
sculpture?
• Explain how the artist has used the four elements –
fire, water, earth, and air.
• Has the effect of the fire been positive or negative?
• What are the artist’s intentions? Explain your answer.
Secondary
• Research the use of fire and water in Japanese ceremonies.
Recount your favourite ceremony.
• Endo has stated that his work stems from a profound sense
of absence. Research Minimalism as a style and relate it to
Endo’s work.
• The Japanese word shibui describes a state of unadorned
elegance, refinement, and unobtrusive beauty.
Compare and contrast this contemporary Japanese
sculpture with another work in this exhibition which you
feel demonstrates shibui.
M ale and Female Shinto Deities
Kamakura period, 1185–1333
Male and female Shinto deities (Shinzō),
13th century, Usa Shrine area, Ōita, Kyushu
camphor wood, male figure 79.0 cm high,
female figure 48.5 cm high
Mrs Mary Overton Gift Fund 1998
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Japanese culture and art have been shaped by a diversity
of beliefs and religions, particularly the Buddhist and Shinto
religions. Shinto – the way of the gods – is a living religion
that permeates every aspect of Japanese life and generates
widespread devotion. Shinto is the native religion of Japan.
Its focus is the worship of kami or spirits. The Shinto religion
shows that every living and non-living thing contains a
kami. They are the vital force within everything. Kami can be
deified ancestors, heroes, or the powers of nature personified.
Every rock, tree, waterfall, and animal is believed to contain
a spirit. Nature is considered sacred and is worshipped as
containing kami.
These figures are wooden sculptures of Shinto deities
containing kami or spirits, and are depicted wearing court
garments of the Heian period (794–1192). The male wears
flowing garments and a tall court cap, and the female figure a
flowing robe and perhaps a scarf. The wood used is aromatic
camphorwood, which was regarded as a particularly sacred
wood, although it was difficult to carve. The deities have been
cut from a single block of wood so as not to destroy the spirit
within. The simplified, clear-cut forms of the figures introduce
the itto-bori, or one-cut technique, which reinforced the idea
of the cohesion of wood and kami.
The figures would have been kept hidden in the sanctuary
of a shrine and viewed only by those who had been fully
purified by ritual cleansing.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Describe the facial features of these deities. What words
would you use to describe the expressions on their faces?
• Make your own drawing of these figures.
Secondary
• Find out more about the ancient indigenous Shinto religion.
• Another sculpture in this room, Bishamonten, is from the
same period. Compare the style and technique of this
sculpture with the Shinto deities.
• Create your own figurative sculpture using the itto-bori
technique. Choose from materials such as hebel (aerated
concrete), clay, foam or soap.
J ūichimen Kannon
This beautiful statue is of the bodhisattva Kannon. The
word bodhisattva means ‘awakening warrior’, and refers to
one who, out of love and compassion, desires to reach full
enlightenment in order to be of benefit to all beings. The
word is also commonly translated as ‘enlightened one’.
There are many details to notice here. Kannon stands on
a double lotus pedestal. The lotus is a symbol for the beauty
and peace within all forms of creation (the beautiful lotus
flower grows out of black mud). He is surrounded by a finely
decorated halo, suggesting his enlightenment. At the top
of the halo is a container (‘stupa’) intended for holding the
bodily remains or a relic of a buddha. A small buddha head
can be seen on the top knot. Originally there were eleven,
each representing a different version of the Amida Buddha.
In his left hand Kannon holds a vase from which he
dispenses the nectar of compassion. His right hand is held in
the position which indicates the granting of blessings.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• List the media used to create the statue.
• Describe the decorative detail, paying particular attention
to the halo and the bodhisattva’s robe.
• How would you describe the expression on Kannon’s face?
Secondary
• Jūichimen Kannon and Male and female Shinto deities in the
exhibition are from the same period.
• Compare the media and techniques used, and discuss your
overall impressions of these works.
• Locate other works in the exhibition which relate to
Buddhist beliefs. Are there similarities?
• Look for other works which feature the lotus, and consider
its use by artists as a symbol of beauty and harmony.
Kamakura period, 1185–1333
Jūichimen Kannon, c.1250
wood, gold leaf, iron, lacquer, bronze, 85.0 x 29.2 cm
Bequest of Sir Samuel Way 1916
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
N ō theatre masks
Edo period, 1615–1868
Nō mask of Washibana akujō, c.1700, Kyoto
cypress wood, lacquer, gilt copper alloy, 20.3 x 15.2 cm
Bequest of Mrs Alec Tweedie 1940
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Edo period, 1615–1868
Nō mask of Tōgō, c.1700, Kyoto
cypress wood, lacquer, gilt copper alloy, 20.3 x 13.9 cm
Bequest of Mrs Alec Tweedie 1940
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Japanese Nō theatre developed from ancient folk traditions
of the fourteenth century. The plays involved dramatic
adventures, and featured many characters including gods,
ghosts and fantastic creatures, as well as mortals. In Nō
theatre the stage is bare, and it is left to the actors in their
masks and dazzling costumes, the musicians, and the dancers
and chorus, to set the scene and suggest the atmosphere.
The masks the actors wear are thus very important, and are
cleverly carved to suggest particular characters and their
emotions. The skill of the mask carver, and the actor, combine
to use the play of light across a mask to suggest changes in
character and emotion. During a performance an innocent
character may be slowly transformed into an evil one!
The Nō mask of Washibana akujō and the Nō mask of Tōgō
were used to represent the character of frightful or wrathful
gods. In a later period they were also used in the role of
vengeful ghosts! Masks such as these were prized as theatrical
heirlooms, and were handed down through actor lineages.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• List the media used to make these masks.
• What materials do you think would be used to make
theatre (or dress-up) masks today?
• Design and make your own ‘angry god’ mask.
Secondary
• Research one of the actor dynasties or the history of Nō
theatre.
• Early costumes for Nō theatre were adapted from luxury
garments given to actors by patrons. The costumes were
often described as scenery in motion. Look for Nō costume
with phoenix and cloud motif and Nō costume with fishing net
design. Consider the ways in which these costumes would
contribute to theatrical impact.
K anzan and Jittoku
This beautiful work, with its sweeping ink brush strokes,
shows the two legendary recluses, Kanzan and Jittoku, who
lived around the late eighth and early ninth centuries, on
Mount Tiantai in southeast China. Kanzan was a poet;
Jittoku was a kitchen hand in a monastery. They wandered the
mountains, and came to be admired as free spirits, young men
who had no care for social convention or material possessions.
The rolled scroll and broom were symbols associated with the
two companions. Kanzan and Jittoku first became a subject
for Chinese artists in the Song dynasty, and later became
popular with Japanese artists.
This scroll is a collaborative work by the artist Yūshō
Zakkean and the calligrapher Jiun Sonja Onkō. Collaborative
work was widespread in Japanese art and literary practice. The
calligraphy on the scroll, which complements the image of
the two ‘lunatics’ huddled together in a conspiratorial whisper,
is a poem about Kanzan and Jittoku.
Questions and Activities
Note: Students at both primary and secondary levels might
like to look for other works in the exhibition which feature
calligraphy, for example Sparrow on a blossoming plum tree;
Kannon, and the screen Pine wind, plum moon.
Primary
• What is the Japanese word for an illustrated handscroll?
• Create a scroll painting showing you and a classmate.
• Compose a short poem to accompany your painting, and
include it on your scroll.
Secondary
• Research the history of scroll painting, and consider the
importance of scrolls in Asian art, and the connection of
this art form with calligraphy.
• Look for other scrolls in the exhibition, particularly
They kick when fired... and Cranes in the field....
Discuss the differences you notice.
Yūshō Zakkean, active 18th century, inscription and painting;
Jiun Sonja Onkō, 1718–1804, additional inscription
Kanzan and Jittoku, late 18th century
hanging scroll, ink on paper, 118.0 x 43.0 cm
Gift of Kurt A. Gitter 2006
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney photo: Mim Stirling
P icnic set (sage-jubako)
Edo period, 1615–1868, Picnic set (sage-jubako), c.1845–60s, Kyoto(?)
gold and rōiro lacquer, glazed earthenware, metal, 38.0 x 33.0 x 14.5 cm (frame)
Elizabeth and Tom Hunter Fund 2006
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
During the Edo period (1615–1868) numerous practical
utensils were made from lacquer. Lacquer is extracted from
the toxic sap of the tree Rhus vernifluia. Precise environmental
conditions, particularly in relation to humidity, are required for
the thinly layered applications of sap, and, after the sap has
hardened, for the delicate polishing with stone or charcoal. The
process can take years.
Highly decorated objects, such as this picnic set, were
important indicators of wealth and social status. Such an
elaborate item would have belonged to an important family or
individual, and would probably have been used only on very
special occasions, such as an outing to a famous temple. The
set contains a three-sectioned food box, tray, and two-tiered
container with a cover to hold the sake bottle.
The techniques used in the creation of the picnic set include
deep-tone, high-gloss lacquer, and relief lacquer. The insides of
the containers are lacquered in fine gold flakes. The artist has
used particular symbolic images in the decoration – flowers
(chrysanthemums) floating on a stream, and waves. The two
family crests on the base of the stand suggest that the picnic
set may have been part of a wedding dowry.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Do you think this picnic set looks more decorative than
functional? Compare the features of this object with a
contemporary picnic set.
• Design your own picnic set. What materials would you use?
• What information can you find about the sort of food and
drink Japanese people might take on a picnic?
• There are other food containers in the exhibition. Look for
Hexagonal three-tiered food box and Square flask.
Secondary
• Research lacquer technique. Look for other lacquer objects
in the exhibition, for example Tray, negoro ware. Look also
for Writing box (suzuribako) in the exhibition. The design on
the box has been drawn in layers of applied gold dust and
lacquer.
• Research the use of gold flake / leaf /dust in both Japanese
art and Western art.
• Design and decorate a contemporary Australian picnic set.
A rrival of the Black ship
Decorated folding screens, byōbu, have been used in Japan
since they were first introduced in the seventh and eighth
centuries. Traditional Japanese buildings had few permanent
walls, so moveable and folding screens took on an important
role in dividing, enclosing and defining indoor spaces. Screens
were usually viewed from a sitting position on the floor,
and the proportions of most screens take this into account.
Screens covered with gold leaf would serve both practical and
aesthetic purposes, reflecting lamplight at night.
The screen narrative is read left to right, the opposite to
other screens in this exhibition. The six panels in the screen
show the arrival of a Portuguese merchant ship, and a street
scene or reception. The first merchant ships from Portugal
arrived in Japan in 1543, bringing trade and missionary
activities.
Each year the arrival of the Portuguese ships, known as
the ‘Black ships’, brought great excitement. Artists, mostly
from the Kanō school, began to paint and record their arrival.
The ships brought many things, including Chinese goods,
particularly silks.
This three-mast merchant ship is heavily armed with
canons, which the Portuguese introduced into Japan at the
same time as firearms. The captain of the ship is identified
by his finery and a parasol. He is accompanied by the crew
escorting an assortment of exotic Asian animals intended as
gifts for wealthy Japanese. The animals include a rare white
elephant. Buddhists consider the white elephant as the holiest
of beasts, and as the very embodiment of the soul of the
Buddha.
The townspeople view the arrival with interest. The ship
is greeted by a Franciscan monk in grey and an Augustinian
monk in black robes. The two monks are followed by a
group of mainly women, who may represent the Christian
congregation of Nagasaki.
Momoyama period, 1573–1615
Arrival of the Black ship, c.1590
single six-panel screen, ink, colour
and gold on paper, 94.0 x 290.0 cm
The Gwinnett Collection
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Look closely at the screen. List the activities you can see on
the ship. What is happening on the shore? Why would the
arrival of the Portuguese cause so much excitement?
• Describe the differences between the Portuguese and
Japanese people in this scene. Pay particular attention to
their clothing.
Secondary
• Consider the outcome of contact between peoples of
different backgrounds and cultures as depicted in the two
screens Scenes of the Ezo fishing grounds and Arrival of the
Black ship.
• The backgrounds of many of the screens in the exhibition
are often simple or stylized, and this encourages you to
focus on details. What are the prominent details on the
screen Arrival of the Black ship?
• Look at other screens to appreciate this technique, for
example Scenes in and around Kyoto and Battle scenes from
The tales of Heike.
10
S cenes of the Ezo fishing grounds
This is a handscroll (emakimono). It is like a carefully
constructed silent film that tells a story. As you unroll the
scroll each new scene is revealed. The period depicted on
the scroll is the mid-eighteenth century, and the leading
characters are the indigenous hunters and gatherers of
Ezogoshima: the Ainu. The artist, Kodama Teiryō, was a
machi-eshi, an artist who earned his livelihood by selling his
paintings to townspeople. Teiryō produced Ainu-e (‘Ainu
pictures’) of which this scroll is an example.
From the seventeenth century the Ainu had been pushed
to the far north island of Ezogoshima (now Hokkaido) where
they were encouraged to settle. The scroll depicts different
aspects of the life of the Ainu, and their relationship with the
Japanese.
The first scene shows an important event, the omusha, a
formal ceremony for the official distribution of gifts from
the lord of the Matsumae clan, who maintained a trading
monopoly with the Ainu. From a simple house a seated
samurai, in black robe, looks toward the gathered Ainu. He
wears a sword, and holds a fan. There is a prayer stick beside
him, and the long red roll behind is likely to hold weapons.
To his left sits a government official, who is also elevated
above the Ainu. To the side of the house are gifts for the
Ainu – straw bags, perhaps containing tobacco leaves, and
sake casks.
The bearded Ainu man, in the robe with geometric design,
bows toward an interpreter. Is something changing hands?
There are indicators in this scene of a ritual exchange. Notice
the red lacquered ceremonial cups and saucers.
A number of beach scenes feature in the rest of the scroll:
two Ainu men carry ashore salted abalone, shark fins, and
dried salted salmon; Ainu men are shown fishing in two
boats, steering with poles, and trawling with nets; men haul
in a net, under the instruction of their leader on the beach. In
another scene, women are introduced, cleaning fish which is
then rolled up in straw matting, and carried away by the Ainu
men. This fish may be intended as a gift for the Japanese.
detail: Kodama Teiryō, active c.1751–64
Scenes of the Ezo fishing grounds, c.1751–64, Matsumae, Hokkaido
handscroll, ink and colour on paper, 872.0 x 27.7 cm
South Australian Government Grant 1940
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Can you describe the differences between the Ainu and the
Japanese as shown here? Look for differences in both facial
appearance and dress.
• Write a story about the life of the Ainu. Make your own
scroll featuring the story you have told. Use black ink or
paint.
Secondary
• What can these images tell you about society and life in
this period?
• Investigate the origins and customs of the Ainu people.
What were their relations with the Japanese? What is their
status in contemporary Japan?
• Lacquered ceremonial cups and saucers were used in a
number of different ceremonies. Research traditional
Japanese ritual ceremonies, including tea ceremonies.
11
S eto Inland Sea: Osaka to Nagasaki sea route map
Edo period, 1615–1868
Seto Inland Sea: Osaka to
Nagasaki sea route map, late
17th century
pair of six-panel screens,
colour, gold on paper, 137.0 x
282.0 cm, 137.0 x 285.0 cm
Gift of Andrew and Hiroko
Gwinnett through the Art
Gallery of South Australia
Foundation 2008
Art Gallery of South
Australia, Adelaide
The Seto Inland Sea occupies approximately 20,000 km,
and is scattered with some 3,000 islands of various sizes.
The area is known for its rapid currents, hazardous reefs and
dangerous sailing conditions, but also for its plentiful fishing
grounds. Over the centuries many battles have been fought in
this region due to its strategic location.
The rare large-scale historical map depicted on the pair of
screens illustrates one of Japan’s most prominent geographical
regions, the sea routes between Nagasaki and Osaka,
together with major landmarks along the way. The map
is a continuous panorama, with mountains, towns, castles,
temples, and ships shown.
The maritime information recording islands and reefs
hazardous to sailing is shown in precise detail. The numerous
shipping routes are mapped in red lines, while the white
circular symbols along the coastline probably indicate
hazardous currents or shallows and rocks. Many boats are
sailing in the waters. The large two-mast Portuguese ‘black
ship’ is on its annual trading voyage.
During the Edo period, sailing routes were developed to
encourage the safe passage of goods and people. For the first
time travellers were able to visit historical sites, and Nagasaki
was a much sought out destination for the Japanese.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Look at a map of Japan and name the surrounding oceans
and islands.
• Look at the details on the screen. Find the numerous
sailing boats that display crests of powerful feudal lords.
Make a sketch of your favourite boat and its crest.
• Can you find the Portuguese ‘black ship’? Where is it
going? Where has it come from?
Secondary
• Consider how Seto Inland Sea is not simply a sea route map
but also shows historical events and everyday activities. In
the same way Scenes in and around Kyoto is also a kind of
map, recording aspects of the society of the time.
• Research the history of map making. When were the first
maps made?
• Look at maps of the world today. How are they different to
this map made in the late seventeenth century?
12
S umo Wrestlers
Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1797–1861
The sumo wrestlers Shiranui Dakuemon (centre left), Tsurugizan Taniemon (centre right), with referee Shikimori Inosuke
and seated judge (left), the elder (retired) wrestler Miyagino (right), later 1830s–early 1840s
nishiki-e, ōban triptych, colour woodblock print, each 36.7 x 25.0 cm
South Australian Government Grant 1975, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
On 25 September, 1843, two sumo wrestlers fought a
match on a ring specially built in the grounds of the shogun’s
castle, to be watched by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi
himself.
This event was so special that Kuniyoshi, one of the most
popular Ukiyo-e artists of the time, was commissioned
to draw the scene. Kuniyoshi’s sketch was made into a
woodblock print, and the printed copies were bought by
many people as a souvenir of Edo, Japan’s capital city, now
called Tokyo.
In this print we see the wrestlers Tsurugizan on the right,
and Shiranui on the left. The umpire, Shikimori Inosuke,
is standing at the far left. The match witness, the Elder
Miyagino, is seated to the right of the wrestlers.
Most sumo wrestlers had some tokuiwaza, a technique
they were best at, but Tsurugizan did not have one. His idea
was that once you had established your tokuiwaza, all your
opponents would know what it was so they could work out
how to defeat you. Therefore, he said, you had to train yourself
to be good at every technique.
The umpire (gyōji) Shikimori Inosuke is holding a gunpai,
originally a fan used on a battlefield by a commander to give
directions to his fighters. Using this gunpai his role is to
summon the wrestlers into the ring, signal for the wrestlers
to stand up to commence the match, encourage them to
keep moving, judge which side has won and using which
technique, and finally, to announce the winner. The umpire’s
role is taken so seriously that, though he is not a samurai, he
is allowed to wear a sword to show that he is prepared to take
his life if his judgement is found incorrect.
Sumo wrestling started out as a ritual to forecast the
fortune of the country, but after hundreds of years it became
more a sport and a popular entertainment. The wrestlers
became rough, and sometimes violent, and sumo started to
get a bad reputation.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Why do you think that sumo wrestlers are always barefoot?
• Umpires wear tabi (socks) and /or zori (sandals) during
matches. What is Shikimori Inosuke wearing?
• Design your own gunpai for a match or competition. Write
the slogan in English.
Secondary
• Research the first artist in the Utagawa group, Utagawa
Toyoharu (1735–1814).
• Explain the process for making multi-coloured woodblock
prints.
• View the Art Gallery of South Australia’s online collection
of Japanese works of art. Describe the work by Utagawa
Kuniyoshi. Investigate why there are so many Utagawas.
13
T he kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
Toyohara Kunichika, 1835–1900
The kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX meditating before an image of Fudō Myōō, VI/1889
nishiki-e, ōban triptych, colour woodblock print, each 36.5 x 25.0 cm
Public Donations Fund 2008
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
This is a complex work containing many meanings and
ideas. In Japan, actors were encouraged to learn and become
proficient in arts other than performance. These arts included
poetry, painting and calligraphy. The actors assumed pen
names which they used when pursuing these other arts.
In this triptych the famous kabuki actor Danjūrō 1X is
shown in formal clothing, seated before a painting of Fudō
Myōō, chief of the Five Wisdom Kings, and protective
Buddhist deity of the Ichikawa line of actors. The painting
within the print is signed with Danjūrō’s poetry pen-name,
‘Danshū’, and states that it is done in the style of master
Kazan.
The Kazan-style painting is surrounded by implements
used by the scholar-painter: brushes, brush water pot,
inkstone and brush rest. To the right of the painting are a
priest’s whisk and a vase with a peony, the flower associated
with the Danjūrō line. The screen in the background depicts
a waterfall, which together with the painting of Fudō Myōō,
the 1889 date, and the headnote, indicate that the print was
a special one, released to commemorate a particular theatre
performance in which Danjūrō starred. All the details in this
print combine to suggest Danjūrō’s significance as a member
of the cultured class. Many kabuki actors enjoyed the ‘star’
status that film and television actors enjoy in our society.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Research kabuki theatre. How is it different to Nō theatre?
• Look for other images of kabuki actors in the exhibition.
What do their features have in common?
• Paint a portrait of yourself as a kabuki actor!
Secondary
• What are the different arts featured in this work?
• Compare this work with the woodblock print The kabuki
actor Ichikawa Danjūrō.
• Find the small statue of Fudō Myōō in the exhibition.
What is he holding in his right hand? In his left? What
might these things symbolise? Why have they been used by
the artist?
• What differences do you notice between this statue and the
image on the scroll?
• Think of this work as an advertisement for a movie or play,
and compare it with a contemporary theatre advertisement.
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H airdresser (Kamiyui)
Kitagawa Utamaro, 1753?–1806
Hairdresser (Kamiyui)
from the series Twelve types of women’s handicraft
(Fujin tewaza jūnikō), c.1797–98
nishiki-e, ōban, colour woodblock print, 38.0 x 27.6 cm
South Australian Government Grant 1983
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
The popular woodblock prints of the Edo period depicted
various images of daily life and urban culture. The pursuit
of beauty was one of the most frequently shown images in
Ukiyo-e. The prints frequently detailed the attention that
both men and women gave to the care and adornment of the
body. Some Ukiyo-e artists set new trends in style and fashion
through the attention they gave in their works to clothing
and adornment.
Artists represented women from the different social
classes. This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, one of
the most influential artists of his day, shows a hairdresser
(artisan class) attending to her client. Both women are
dressed in simple cotton robes rather than the exquisite
kimono robes evident in other woodblocks in the exhibition.
Both look as if they are concentrating deeply.
Beauty is serious business!
Questions and Activities
Primary
• What is the hairdressing ‘tool’ being used?
• Describe the hairdresser’s hair decoration. What might it
be made of?
• Consider the use of wigs / false hairpieces (adornments) in
Japanese fashion.
• Look at other woodblock prints in the exhibition which
show hair and robe ‘fashion’ details, for example Kikugawa
Eizan’s Beauty walking in the snow.
Secondary
• What are your first impressions?
• Consider the elongated faces. The artist has simplified or
‘stylised’ the women. Why do you think he has done this?
• Select woodblock prints which represent different styles of
costume for different activities or different occasions. What
do these fashion differences suggest about the society of the
time?
15
N etsuke
Sukenao, active c. 1850
Netsuke, Daruma yawning, c.1850
fossil ivory, 3.8 cm high
M.J.M. Carter AO Collection 2004
Art Gallery of South Australia,
Adelaide
Questions and Activities
Primary and Secondary
Edo period, 1615–1868
Okimono, Ashinaga tenaga (Long-legsshort-arms – short-legs-long-arms), c.1850
boxwood, 8.3 cm high
Bequest of Miss Sarah Crabb 1925
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
centre: Kajikawa studio, Inrō, mid-19th century
gold lacquer, metal and gold inlay, ivory and silk
cord, 11.0 cm high
M.J.M. Carter AO Collection 2004
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Netsuke are miniature sculptures that were invented in
17th century Japan to provide a practical function (the two
Japanese characters ne+tsuke mean ‘root’ and ‘to attach’).
Traditional Japanese garment-robes, called kimono, had no
pockets, however men or women who wore them needed a
place to store their personal belongings such as money, pipes,
tobacco, or medicines. Their solution was to place objects in
containers. These could be a pouch or a small woven basket,
but the most popular were beautifully crafted boxes, called
inrō. Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that
secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved toggle
called a netsuke. This fastener reduced the risk of losing the
inrō or pouch.
Netsuke were inspired by animals, deities and characters
from folk tales, and were eventually made not only from
wood, but also from bone, ivory, wicker, iron and precious
metals.
Netsuke production was most popular during the Edo
period in Japan (1615–1868). Netsuke evolved over time.
From being simple, functional shapes, they became objects of
great detail and artistic merit. Netsuke are fully carved in the
round, designed to look appealing from all sides and angles.
A netsuke collector might pick up and feel a netsuke before
examining it more closely. Some netsuke were designed as
non-functional objects called okimono: small, freestanding
carvings or sculptures. These were usually made for export,
not a local market.
The following stories are associated with the netsuke and
okimono in this exhibition.
Daruma yawning
A long time ago Daruma went to China to spread the
wisdom of Zen Buddhist teachings. While there he stayed
in a temple for nine years, squatting on his haunches by
a wall, without speaking or moving. He was in a state of
deep meditation, thinking about the idea ‘Nothing has ever
existed’. When he finally went to stand he found that his legs
had withered away. Daruma is often shown therefore, as a
legless, and sometimes an armless person. In popular culture
he appears as a snowman and a toy figure, which despite not
having any legs always keeps bobbing up the right way.
Ashinaga tenaga (Long-legs-short-arms – short-legs-long-arms)
Ashinaga (Long Legs) and Tenaga (Long Arms) are some of
the most popular subjects in netsuke art. They symbolise the
idea of mutual assistance necessary for a productive life. The
unique combination of abilities enabled these two characters
to go fishing for shellfish and fish in quite deep water. The
stories of Ashinaga and Tenaga came originally from India,
then moved through China to Korea and Japan.
Primary
• Find the netsuke Chinese monk, Okimono, Hotei. Where
are the inrō and netsuke hanging?
• Select your favourite netsuke or okimono from those in the
exhibition. Describe in detail what it looks like, the date
created, materials used, and dimensions.
Secondary
• Inrō, the set pictured above centre, with the netsuke and
ojime bead still attached with its original chord, displays
a variety of materials and techniques used. Describe the
imagery depicted on the inrō, ojime and netsuke.
• Consider the artistry in terms of materials used, for
example for Sparrow; for Hare eating a leaf; for Daruma
yawning; and for Ashinaga tenaga (Long-legs-short-arms
– short-legs-long-arms).
16
Elephant carrying urn and rakan
Norimitsu, active late 19th century
Elephant carrying urn and rakan, c.1890
bronze, shakudō, 114.0 x 87.0 x 42.0 cm
Ayers House Museum, National Trust
of South Australia, Adelaide
Japanese metalsmiths developed exceptional skills in the
creation of bronze sculptures of creatures from the natural
world. This sculpture is made from bronze and shakudō, a
combination of gold and copper, chosen and used because of
its beautiful dark blue-purple patina.
The elephant is an important creature for Buddhists, and
is also an icon in Japanese art. In this sculpture the dignity
and majesty of the animal have been captured by the artist
Norimitsu.
The figure seated on the urn is a disciple, also known as
a rakan (worthy one) of the Buddha. He embraces a large
creature possibly intended to represent the tiger that often
accompanies Buddha’s disciple Hattera. The tiger is a symbol
of strength and power for the Japanese, though it is not an
animal found in Japan.
Questions and Activities
Primary
• Describe the garment the rakan is wearing. What is he
holding?
• Locate other rakans in the exhibition and compare them
with this sculpture.
• Describe the decoration /design on the elephant’s rug.
Secondary
• What is an icon? Locate other ‘icons’ in the exhibition.
• Look for other bronze works in the exhibition (for example
Eagle) and compare their appearance.
• Locate other works which use shakudō, and explain how
shakudō enhances their appearance or appeal.
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G lossary
Japanese words are written in Japanese scripts (hiragana, katakana or kanji where commonly used)
Ainu-e
アイヌえ アイヌ絵
calligraphy careful hand-lettering, handwriting, or the decorative art of lettering in an ornamental style using brushes
or pens
heirlooms family possessions (usually something special or precious) passed from generation to generation
icon usually a painting or representation of a religious (or significant) subject or figure
inrō いんろう　印篭
a pouch or small container for holding small objects
kabuki かぶき
dramatic style of theatre and acting popular in Japan, characterised by stylized
kami かみ神
Kanō
かのう　可能 school of painters from the 15th to 16th centuries; official painters of the Tokugawa
kimono
きもの 着物 the traditional clothing of Japan
lacquer hard waterproof finish (varnish) which is built up in layers
lineage line of descent from an ancestor
netsuke ねつけ 根付 small carvings used to fasten a pouch or small container
Nō
のう能 refers to a particular style of Japanese theatre, as well as theatre costumes and masks used to
ojime おじめ a type of bead worn between an inrō and netsuke
okimono おきもの 置物
patina
the alteration of surface ‘colouring’ as a result of age and handling, or exposure to air
patron
supporter of an event or cause, a sponsor or benefactor of the arts
sake さけ酒 fermented rice-based alcoholic drink, very popular in Japan
samurai
さむらい 侍 a member of the Japanese noble or military class (special reference to feudal Japan)
shogun
しょうぐん将軍 a military rank and historical title for hereditary commanders of armies in Japan
sumo すもう 相撲 a competitive contact sport originating in Japan where a wrestler attempts to force
symbol a thing used to stand for, or represent, another
shibui しぶい 渋い a Japanese word which refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive
triptych
a set of three panels, or sections, placed side by side
Ukiyo-e
うきよえ 浮世絵 ‘pictures of the floating world’: a reference to the woodblock prints, illustrated books
woodblock print
type of woodcut printed from separate wooden blocks, each carrying a separate colour and fitted together
to complete the final design (image, text or pattern on textile or paper)
歌舞伎
acting
‘pictures’ of the life and customs of indigenous Ainu people
a Shinto spirit
shogunate
portray fantastic and dramatic creatures
a ‘placed thing’: a small ornamental carving
another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the
feet
beauty
and paintings depicting subjects related to the urban popular culture of the Edo period
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