Meanwhile, the minor arts also made notable development in textile fabrics and in gold lacquer. They are conspicuous for brightness of colors and originality of designs.
On the other hand, there was quite a different phase of art, which made a remarkable contrast with the heavy and ornate form and color. It was an art developed by the influence of the tea-ceremony which was popular among the people of the military class. For the tea-ceremony they had a small and simple building called Sukiya, or Chashitsu. In such architecture the studied simplicity and rusticity were highly appreciated, and the tea-utensils were also of archaic simplicity.
Such was the most notable variety in appreciation of art developed in this period.
However, the Buddhist and portrait sculpture degenerated still more than in the preceding period and almost no example remains today to be treated separately. Therefore it will be more convenient to describe this ornamental sculpture together with architecture.
2. PAINTING
It is noticeable that a new aesthetic attitude, never before attained, was developed in this period. Those who needed magnificent paintings were such military generals as Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and other minor chiefs. Their attitude toward art was quite different from that taken by court nobles of the Fujiwara Period, and also from that of the military men of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. They were not so much interested in Buddhist art as in that of the former periods, and were much more interested in magnifying themselves. To display the greatness acquired by their power, through the architectural beauty and decorative painting in which they found satisfaction, they built large castles and magnificent mansions. Therefore Momoyama painting made remarkable development in the field of architectural painting.
The architectural painting was applied mostly to walls and sliding screens at the partitions of rooms. Popular subjects painted on them were pine, cherry, plum, and willow trees of lofty forms; and flowers and birds in rich colors on gold leaf. Chinese historical or legendary characters also were popular among them, but Japanese characters were rather rare.
There was also another kind of painting in black and white, on walls and sliding screens in contrast with the ornate and rich colored pictures, giving a variety to aesthetic appreciation.
Large folded screens painted in opaque pigments of rich colors on gold leaf were also in vogue as indispensable furniture in magnificent rooms of imposing mansions.
There were three important schools of painting in this period, the Kanō, Unkoku, and Hasegawa. The older schools, the Kasuga and Tosa, still remained, but were in the last stage of decadence, and their work was limited to religious paintings.On the other hand, the Kanō School stood above all the others in prosperity and produced many artists of ability. Among these, Eitoku and Sanraku were the masters who represented the age most notably. They painted gorgeous decorative pictures on walls and sliding screens.
Eitoku, 1543-1590, was the eldest son of Shōei. Early in childhood he studied painting under his grandfather, Motonobu, and came to excel his father, Shōei, in the art. At first he was in the service of Oda Nobunaga, and Afterwards of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.The characteristic features of Eitoku’s art were the strength of his brush stroke and his extremely vigorous manner of showing bold crevices in rocks and mountains. His forte was indeed in big work, his style being full of life and animation, with the dazzling brilliancy of colors expressing the heroic spirit of the times. At the request of Hideyoshi he painted the golden walls of the castle of Osaka and the Juraku-dai mansion at Kyoto. He also adorned most of the other principal castles and residences that arose one After another. Thus he had no time to attend to a smaller and more delicate style. Among his works there are pine trees and plum trees sometimes ten or twenty feet in height, and men lifesize or even larger. Therefore his paintings are in a way rather rough and it is easy to believe the story that he employed a monstrous brush made of straw. His work well represents the characteristic features of the painting of this period.
Fig. 122. Lions, by Eitoku
Imperial Household Collection
One excellent example (Fig. 122) of his work is in the Imperial Household collection. It is a pair of screens, on which lions are painted on gold leaf. It measures 8 feet in height and 16 feet in length. The lions are fabulous in form but royal in aspect. The broad and gigantic composition and bright coloring well represent Eitoku. In a corner is an inscription which reads “Kanō Eitoku Hōin-hitsu,” meaning “Painted by Kanō Eitoku Hōin.”
In the Jukō-in of the Daitoku-ji monastery remain excellent pictures painted on sliding screens, which are attributed to Eitoku. One of the pictures is composed mainly of a large pine tree, a crane, and rocks, all painted in black ink on a ground slightly colored with gold. The living strength of the pine tree and the immovable power of living rocks, painted with a powerful touch of the brush, balance magnificently with the crane and flower under the tree. This massive composition well represents Eitoku and the orthodox style of the Kanō School.
There is another unique example of his work in the Hiunkaku hall, which was erected by Hideyoshi in his Juraku-dai mansion, and later removed to the Nishi-Hongwan-ji monastery where it still remains.
The following are also famous paintings attributed to Eitoku:
Folding screen painted with the story of Genji. Pair. Imperial Household collection.
Folding screen with flowers. Imperial Household collection.
Folding screen with hinoki tree. Tokyo Imperial Household Museum.
Folding screen with a hawk on a pine tree. The Tokyo Fine Art school.
Sanraku, 1559-1635, was made a personal attendant of Hideyoshi, who recognized his rare ability in painting, and placed him under Kanō Eitoku to study. Afterwards, Hideyoshi caused him to enter into paternal relations with Eitoku and take the family name of Kanō. The young pupil mastered the spirit of the Kanō School, and in landscape, human figures, and flowers, his works resemble those of Eitoku. Sanraku excelled in painting gorgeous pictures that adorned walls and sliding screens. His art reached its climax in expressing the heyday of the powerful Hideyoshi. After the downfall of the House of Hideyoshi, Sanraku retired to a temple, but was soon allowed by Ieyasu, the first Shogun of the Yedo Period, to return to Kyoto. It was at the time of his retirement that he assumed the name of Sanraku (Mountain Enjoyment).
Fig. 123. Cherry Tree in Full Bloom, by Sanraku (N.T.)
Chijaku-in, Kyoto
One of the best of his works is in the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum. It is a pair of screens, with Chinese figures painted on it. On one of the pair is painted the Chinese Taoist legend of Chō Ryō (Chang Liang), and on the other Kokei Sanshō, or The Three Laughers in the Tiger Valley.
Sanraku was also a great painter of flowers. There is a magnificent picture attributed to him, representing a cherry tree in full bloom, painted on the wall of a building of the Chijaku-in monastery of Kyoto. (Fig. 123) It is said traditionally that this wall painting was originally in the Momoyama castle erected in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The picture painted on paper is pasted on the entire wall, measuring 5.6 meters in length and 1.7 meters in height. The artist endeavored to depict “spring joy of flowers,” shining through gorgeous clouds of gold. The larger branches of a cherry tree spread out from a gigantic trunk to the right and left over the gold ground. The drooping branches of willow with their fresh green leaves make a charming color contrast to the magnificent cherry blossoms, symbolizing a quick growth of life. In the foreground blue water flows quietly from a near by pond; dandelions, pansies, and water lilies blossom in profusion; floating clouds form the background. This was intended to represent an everlasting Paradise on earth, and to make the occupants of the room feel as if they were in the garden of Extreme Happiness. It is, indeed, one of the most representative examples of the highly decorative pictures of the Momoyama Period.
Another Excellent example of Sanraku’s work, representing trees, flowers, and tigers, will be seen in the interior decoration of the Ten
kryu-in chapel of the Myoshin-ji monastery of Kyoto. The subject is painted on panels and on sliding screens which divide the interior into three rooms. In the middle room are painted bamboo bushes and a group of tigers, which were the favorite subjects of the Momoyama painters for symbolizing the feeling of power. And in one of the two side-rooms are painted morning glories, lilies, chrysanthemums, and other flowers, making the room feel like flowery spring. In the other side-room are drooping branches. These make a broad composition on a long extensive gold leaf of eight sliding screens. Between the trees is a huge immovable rock covered with partially melted snow, on the right and left of which the willow and the plum tree extend their stout trunks outward. A few tiny birds flying from the top branches of the plum tree seem to tell of the coming of spring by their thin cries and swift flight into the golden sky. On one branch of the willow, under the drooping branches green with shoots of new hope, perch two white herons in meditation. These pictures of Tenkryu-in chapel are enrolled as national treasures.
Another famous painter of the Momoyama Period was Yusho (1533-1615). He first studied under Kanō Eitoku, but later developed a liking for the style of Liang K’ai of the Sung Dynasty of China, and finally founded a school of his own, called the Kai-hoku School. He was almost as famous in landscape, human figures, flowers, and animals as were Eitoku and Sanraku. He liked to paint human figures with as few brush strokes as possible.
Fig. 124. Three Tasters of Vinegar, by Yusho (N.T.)
Kyoto Onshi Museum of Art
In the Myoshin-ji monastery at Kyoto are five pairs of folding screens, enrolled as national treasures, all of which have Chinese figures painted by him. Except for one pair, on which is painted a floral figure, the subjects painted on them are taken from Chinese legends and stories.
On a pair of these screens is painted the picture of Three Tasters of Vinegar, and the two hermit sages, Kanzan and Jittoku. In Fig. 124 is reproduced the picture of Three Tasters of Vinegar. They represent a Confusianist, a Taoist, and a Buddhist priest. They taste the same vinegar, but each experiences a different taste from the others. Although the taste is different, its source is in the same vinegar. With this the picture symbolizes that the ultimate source of Taoism, Confusianism, and Buddhism is the same, despite what they preach being different. In the depiction of these sacred figures the painter used only a few brush strokes. His figures are called “bag-like pictures” or fukuro-e, because their garments have a few folds like bags, as will be seen in the picture. Such is one of the characteristic features of Yusho’s portraiture. The pair of screens is preserved in the Kyoto Onshi Museum of Art.
In the Zenko-an chapel in the Kennin-ji monastery of Kyoto there is another example of his best work. It consists of pines painted on sliding screens in black ink on gold leaf. The broad power of the brush and the magnificent shape of pines on the gold background have a wonderful decorative effect for a small room. This is also a national treasure.
In the Imperial Household collection there is another unique pair of screens on which are painted nets hung up to dry. The first impression we get in facing this picture is the novelty of design. The artist found an art motive in fishing nets hung out to dry and patches of green-leafed rushes. He has succeeded in embodying the poetry of simplicity and quietness. (Fig. 125)
Beside these three great masters of the Kanō style, two other eminent masters lived in this period. They were Unkoku Tōgan and Hasegawa Tōhaku. Both mastered the style of Sesshū, the great master in the preceding period. Tōgan became the founder of the Unkoku School, and the latter founded the Hasegawa School.
3. METAL WORK
The industrial arts of the Momoyama Period made a new start, being stimulated, like the painting and architecture, by the triumphant and flowery feeling of those upstarts who took advantage of the age of conflict and dissension and carved out their positions by their own powers. Under such an atmosphere, the composition of design was naturally free and broad and extraordinarily vivid in display. As gold and other bright hues appealed most to their taste, the color scheme applied to industrial arts had an advancing rhythm of the warmest nature. We find the best examples in gilded metal fittings, gold lacquer, and polychromatic decorations applied to architecture.
Fig. 125. Fishing Net, by Yusho
Imperial Household Collection
But on the other hand there was a contrary taste which was inculcated by the tea-ceremony In the tea things we find a studied simplicity and archaic treatment of nature.
Now, the metal work of this period made remarkable progress in the art of decorative metal fittings, arms and armor, in sword furniture, and in iron kettles used in the tea-ceremony
Excellent examples of decorative metal fittings applied to architecture will be seen in the buildings of the Sambō-in in the Daigo-ji monastery near Kyoto, in the Kara-mon gate of the Hōkoku-jinja Shrine in Kyoto, in the Mausoleum (Otamaya) of the Kōdai-ji monastery in Kyoto, in the main hall of the Kangaku-in in the Onjō-ji monastery at Ōmi, in the Chikubu-shima Shrine on the Chikubu-shima Island in Lake Biwa, and in the Zuigan-ji monastery of Matsushima in Sendai.
In such buildings we see fine gilded metal fittings with floral designs that are applied profusely to both their interior and exterior. For example, they are applied to the ceilings, horizontal members, the upper and lower ends of capitals, and rafter-ends, or to the pediments. They give emphasis to the color scheme of the architecture and express the gorgeous feeling of the age.
In Fig. 126 we have reproduced a fine example of gilded bronze fitting used at the capital of the Chikubu-shima Shrine. The outline of the floral scroll is of repoussé work and the details are produced by hairline engraving.
In the art of making sword blades, there was a famous swordsmith, called Minju, in Kyoto under the patronage of Hideyoshi. He was also an able artisan in making tsuba and metal carving. His pupils, Ichijō Kunihiro and Hashimoto Tadayoshi, were also famous swordsmiths.
In the art of making sword furniture, there lived Gotō Kōjō, the fourth of the Gotō family and Takujō, the son of Kōjō, who died in the eighth year of Kwan-ei (1631) at the age of eighty-two. Their work was excellent and assumed a bold aspect.
In armor-work, Muneie and MQunenobu of the Myōchin family and Saotome Ieharu were noted artisans.
4. LACQUER WARE
The art of lacquer ware made special development in a new direction as decorative art. It was free and original in composition as well as in the use of gold lacquer that expressed the gorgeous and flowery taste of the times.
In the Chikubu-shima Shrine at Chiku-shima Island in Lake Biwa, there remains a unique example of gold lacquer applied to the constructive members of the interior of the building. The design is composed of chrysanthemums with streaming water, long-tailed birds perching on branches, phoenixes with paulownia trees, shells, or sea-grass. They are very picteresque and in beautiful harmony with the carvings and paintings of the walls and friezes. The gold lacquer is executed in hiramaki-e technique in which the design is sprinkled over with a gold dust on a lacquered nashi-ji or pear-skin-like gold ground and some other designs made of thin gold-plate are imbedded on the ground. Such was the new technique of gold lacquer work developed in this period. This is an example of the most representative gold lacquer work applied to interior decoration. In Fig. 127 we have reproduced a phoenix flying over the paulownia tree, produced by this technical process of gold lacquer. This is applied to the horizontal timber in the inner sanctuary of the shrine. The motif of this design is of Chinese origin. It is said that the phoenix never rests on any tree but the paulownia and that it feeds on the fruit of the bamboo; it is supposed to appear only in times of peace and prosperity.
Fig. 126. Capital Ornament
Chikubu-shima Shrine
Fig. 127. Phoenix and Paulownia in Gold Lacquer (N.T.)
Chikubu-shima Shrine
Another most important and representative example of gold lacquer of this period will be seen in the large group of gold
lacquered utensils owned by the Kodai-ji monastery of Kyoto. They are placed on view in the Kyoto Onshi Museum of Art.
In Figs. 128 and 129 is reproduced one of the dinner trays which is the finest of them. The whole ground is lavished with thick gold-filing, and a lake-side scene is shown in gold lacquer over which are scattered paulownia crests. The gold color is emphasized here and there by cut-gold applied to rocks and leaves. Tiny silver nail-heads attached to the leaves sparkle like diamonds of dew. The gorgeous feeling of the Momoyama period is thus expressed skillfully by the gold lavished on every part of the tray in harmony with its exuberant life.
As to the gold lacquer artists of this period, Koetsu, Sei-ami, and Kō-ami Chōan were most famous.
5. CERAMIC ART
In this period ceramic art made particular development under the influence of Hideyoshi’s partiality for the tea-ceremony and for antique objects, and also under the encouragement of such virtuosi as Sen-no-Rikyū, Hosokawa Yusai, and others who displayed a similar taste.
Fig. 128. Gold Lacquer Dinner Tray (N.T.)
Kyoto Onshi Museum of Art
Fig. 129. Detail of Fig. 128
Chō-yu, popularly known by the name Chōjirō, began to produce Rikyū wares at Kyoto with the clay found in the premises of the Juraku palace erected by Hideyoshi. They were of such excellent quality that Hideyoshi gave him a seal bearing the character “Raku” to be impressed on them. Hence his wares got the name of Raku-yaki. Tea-bowls produced by him were highly appreciated by the adepts of the tea-cult because their soft texture was agreeable to the lips and kept the tea warm longer than did hard stone wares. Since his time, Raku-yaki ware has always been appreciated by the adepts of the tea-cult. In Fig. 130 we have reproduced a tea-bowl by Chōjirō. It has a broad form and a warm reddish glaze. It measures 7.3 centimeters in height and 10.6 centimeters in diameter. This is on view in the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum.
A History of Japanese Art Page 18