Selections from the Fong-Johnstone Collection

Preamble

A light brown sake decanter with a narrow opening at the top and a much wider base. It has a small rimmed lid, and a poem in Japanese characters is inscribed around the vessel. Finger prints and indentations cover its smooth surface.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Sake Decanter (tokkuri)
1800s
Glazed ceramic
5½ × 6 in. (14 × 15.2 cm)
2021.196

A craggy cliff face with outcroppings of trees on the left-hand side of the composition. In the bottom third, there are more trees and an orange house. A small figure in a blue shirt walks up a path toward the house. Blue clouds peek out from behind the cliff.

Kō (Ōshima) Raikin 高(大島)来禽
Active late 1700s
Autumn Landscape
Late 1700s
Ink and light color on paper
12⅞ × 8½ in. (32.7 × 21.6 cm)
2018.193

A narrow, vertically oriented composition. A brown bird sits on a thin branch of a plum tree with small white blossoms. Other tree branches spread out below and above it. A signature with Japanese characters is in the bottom right corner.

Takeuchi Shōran 武内小鸞
Active late 1700s–early 1800s
Bush Warbler on a Plum Branch
Early 1800s
Ink and color on silk
37½ × 14½ in. (95.3 × 36.8 cm)
2018.215

About 15 sparrows flit around and sit in the green leaves of two bamboo plants on the left side of this long, narrow composition. Japanese calligraphy and two red stamps appear in the upper right corner.

Katō Seiko 加藤青湖
Active 1800s
Sparrows and Bamboo
About 1872
Ink and color on silk
9⅜ × 16⅛ in. (125.4 × 41 cm)
2018.212

A poem in Japanese characters and brushed with black ink fills the length of a long, narrow strip of paper. Splotches and drips of light-colored ink appear atop some of the calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Waka Poem
About 1828/9 or 1840/41
Ink on decorated paper
13¼ × 2¼ in. (33.7 × 5.7 cm)
2018.181.3

Two paddle-shaped fans. The fan on the left is beige, and the fan on the right is light blue. Both have black handles and are inscribed with poems in thin Japanese calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Two Poems on Uchiwa Fans
1800s
Ink on paper with bamboo ribbing, wood handles, silk tassels, and mica
Blue fan 14⅞ × 9½ × ¼ in. (37.8 × 24.1 × 0.6 cm)
Beige fan 15 × 9⅜ × ¼ in. (38.1 × 23.8 × 0.6 cm)
2018.166.1-2

A white, spherical vessel in the shape of a racoon dog. The racoon dog’s face looks up, and its arms and legs, with incised lines representing fur, are close to its body. Japanese characters are incised on its chest.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1800s
1791–1875
Incense Container (kōgō) in the Shape of a Tanuki (raccoon dog)
Glazed ceramic
2¼ × 2½ in. dia. (5.7 × 6.4 cm. dia)
2021.199A-B

A small brown box in the shape of a tortoise. The box’s lid is the head and shell of the tortoise. It has eight faceted sides, and the eyes of the tortoise are holes on either side of the head.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Incense Box (kōgō) in the Shape of a Tortoise
1800s
Ceramic with gold and lacquer repair (kintsugi)
¾ × 1⅝ × 2¼ in. dia. (1.9 × 4.1 × 5.7 cm dia.)
2021.164A-B

A stag painted in thin black ink stands on a light ground near the bottom of the narrow, vertical composition. A poem in Japanese calligraphy is inscribed in the top half of the composition, and a red stamped seal appears below the stag.

Calligraphy by Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Painting by Wada Gesshin 和田月心
1800–1870
Stag and Poem
About 1865–70
Ink on paper
26¾ × 7 ¾ in. (67.9 × 19.7 cm)
2018.245

Energetically brushed Japanese characters in black ink fill the top three quarters of a long, narrow composition. A delicately drawn branch of a pine tree spreads across the bottom of the composition. A signature and two red stamps are in the bottom right corner.

Calligraphy by Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Painting by Tomioka Tessai 富岡鉄斎
1836–1924
Three Waka Poems and a Pine
Second half of the 1800s
Ink on paper
38¼ × 12 in. (97.2 × 30.5 cm)
2021.156

Two small beige bowls with slanted sides. The exteriors are rough and darker brown than the smooth interiors. The interior rims are stamped with small squares and circles. The interior of the bowls are lighter beige and inscribed with poems written in Japanese characters.

Kuroda Kōryō 黒田光良
1823–95
Two Teabowls in the Style of Rengetsu (Rengetsu-yaki)
Late 1800s
Glazed ceramic
Each 1⅞ × 4½ in. dia. (4.6 × 11.4 cm dia.)
2018.259.1-2

Two large Japanese characters are written in thick black ink at the top of the long, vertical composition. At the bottom, a woman in a brown and black robe sits on a thinly painted white rug with her knees bent beneath her. She holds prayer beads and seems to look out at the observer.

Unidentified artist
Signed Mirei 美嶺
The Three Obediences (sanjū)
1700–mid-1800s
Ink and color on paper
29⅛ × 9¾ in. (74 × 24.8 cm)
2018.146

A poem in Japanese characters and brushed with black ink fills the length of a long, narrow strip of paper. Splotches and drips of light-colored ink appear atop some of the calligraphy.

Miwa Teishin 三輪貞信
1809–1902
Waka Poem on Poetry Slip (tanzaku)
Late 1800s
Ink on decorated paper
14¼ × 2⅜ in. (36.2 × 6 cm)
2018.182

Two thickly brushed Japanese characters in black ink occupy the center of a horizontal piece of paper. One small red seal in the top left corner, and two others on the right-center edge of the paper.

Murase Myōdō 村瀬明道
1924–2013
Breaking Waves in the Pines (shōtō)
Late 1900s
Ink on paper
12⅝ × 23⅞ in. (32.1 × 60.6 cm)
2018.155

A blossoming plum branch extends from the lower left of this long, vertical composition to the upper right. The left above the branch are Japanese characters and a several red stamps.

Kamei Shōkin 亀井少琴
1798–1857
Blossoming Plum
About 1850
Ink on paper
52¼ × 19 in. (132.7 × 48.3 cm)
2018.192

A house with a large porch stands on stilts amid a hilly landscape. A green pine tree grows on the hillside to the right. Below the porch, a lavishly dressed man and his servant look up at the porch where three women and a young girl, all in kimonos, stand and sit.

Artist unknown
Signed Kiyohara Yukinobu 清原雪信
Active 1600s–1700s
Genji Peeping at the Young Murasaki
1600s
Ink and color on silk
15¼ × 21½ in. (38.7 × 54.6 cm)
2018.255

A man with black hair in a high bun and a long, wispy beard wearing a kimono takes up the majority of the composition. Japanese calligraphy is above both of his shoulders, and also in the lower left-hand corner.

Ono no Ozū (or Ono no Otsū) 小野お通
1559/68–before 1650
The Deified Sugawara Michizane Crossing to China (Totō Tenjin)
Early 1600s
Ink on paper
25⅜ × 12¾ in. (64.5 × 32.4 cm)
2018.152

A man sits and looks into a large bag in the left half of the composition. A small signature and red stamp are to his left at the edge of the paper. Two vertical rows of Japanese calligraphy fill the right half.

Yamazaki Ryūjo 山崎龍女
Active early 1700s
Hotei and His Bag of Treasure
Early 1700s
Ink on paper
17⅛ × 22 in. (43.5 × 55.9 cm)
2018.185

Branches of a plum tree with tiny white blossoms. Japanese calligraphy in the upper right-hand corner, along with a red stamp.

Tachihara Shunsa 立原春沙
1818–1858
Blossoming Plum
Mid-1800s
Ink and color on silk
41 × 14⅛ in. (104.1 × 35.9 cm)
2018.214

Chrysanthemum flowers are delicately painted in the bottom half. A small signature and red stamp to the left of the flowers. Two rows of Japanese calligraphy in the top half of the paper to the right.

Nakayama Miya 中山三屋
1840–1871
Chrysanthemums
Mid-1800s
Ink and color on paper
54¼ × 12 in. (137.8 × 30.5 cm)
2018.218

A branch from a plum tree fills the bottom half of the paper. Two vertical rows of Japanese calligraphy and a signature with a red stamp fill the top right of the paper.

Nakayama Miya 中山三屋
1840–1871
Blossoming Plum
Mid-1800s
Ink on paper
35½ × 10½ in. (90.2 ×26.7 cm)
2018.221

The green and brown trunk of a cherry tree stands on a pillowy brown hill. The trunk leans to the left, and smaller limbs with leaves and flowers branch out from the trunk. Only part of the tree is seen as it seems to extend beyond the paper.

Oda Shitsushitsu 織田瑟瑟
1779–1832
Blossoming Cherry Tree
Early 1800s
Ink and color on paper
45⅞ × 20⅞ in. (116.5 × 53 cm)
2018.213

A slender, elegantly dressed woman in flowing robes sits crosslegged on a tuft of grass upon a rock. She strums a lute that rests in her lap. Behind her is a vague suggestion of a landscape, and a large, moon-like orb frames the top half of her body.

Kiyohara Yukinobu 清原雪信
1643–1682
The Goddess Benzaiten and Her Lute (biwa)
1660–82
Ink, color, and gold on silk
32⅝ × 14⅛ in. (82.9 × 35.9 cm)
2018.150

In the bottom left corner of this long, vertical composition, a few bamboo stems jut across the paper. Above, a blossoming plum branch reaches across to the other side and then up the length of the composition. Both are painted in black ink. At the bottom, two red stamps and Japanese characters.

Nakabayashi Seishuku 中林清淑
1829–1912
Blossoming Plum and Bamboo
1893
Ink on paper
54¼ × 13¼ in. (137.8 × 33.7 cm)
2018.194

A slender woman in a blue kimono and dusty-rose obi stands on a hill, looking down at the sprigs with green leaves and white blossoms that she holds in her hands. A young girl in a dusty-rose colored robe with green trim stands behind her. She carries a zither and looks into the distance to the left of the frame.

Hirata Gyokuon 平田玉蘊
1787–1855
Queen Mother of the West and Attendant
About 1839
Ink and color on silk
44⅞ × 16½ in. (114 × 41.9 cm)
2018.211

Detailed ink painting showing a birds-eye view of a simple but elegantly furnished hut, partially obscured by trees. Inside, a seated nun serenely inscribes her pottery.

Suganuma Ōhō 菅沼大鳳
Active early 1900s
Rengetsu Working in Her Hut
1935
Ink and color on paper
45⅛ × 16⅞ in. (114.6 × 42.9 cm0
2018.165

Accordion-bound album with elegant cursive lines of poetry and occasional illustrations like butterflies or a sprig of pink flowers.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Travel Journal to Arashiyama (Arashiyama hana no ki)
1800s
Ink and color on paper
1¼ × 4¼ × 6½ in. (3.2 × 10.8 × 16.5 cm)
2021.206

Simply brushed plain line painting in black ink of a seated meditating feminine figure draped in a flowy robe. Japanese calligraphy on the right.

Ōishi Junkyō 大石順教
1888–1968
Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara)
Mid-1900s
Ink on paper
25⅝ × 13⅜ in. (65.1 × 34 cm)
2018.156

Fan painting on light paper using wet dabs of monochrome ink of a wide-eyed shrimp, stretching claws to upper right corner. Artist’s signature on the left.

Ōishi Junkyō 大石順教
1888–1968
Shrimp
Mid-1900s
Ink on paper
6¼ × 13¾ in. (15.7 × 34.9 cm)
2018.158

Hanging scroll with a single line of semi-cursive calligraphy. The strong and energetic characters are rendered in thick black ink on yellowing paper.

Daitsū Bunchi 大通文智
1619–1697
Bodhisattva of Myriad Acts of Compassion (Jihi Mangyō Bosatsu)
1600s
Ink on paper
38¾ × 11 in. (98.4 × 27.9 cm)
2018.153

Five vertical lines of cursive Japanese calligraphy are painted on yellowing paper at varying heights and thicknesses. Two large red square seals at bottom left.

Ryōnen Gensō 了然元総
1646–1711
Poem
1701–11
Ink on paper
11¼ × 11 in. (28.6 × 27.9 cm)
2018.159

Colorful woodblock print showing a nun pressing a hot iron to her cheek. A brazier with smoldering embers in the background. Tightly arranged blocks of Japanese text overhead.

Image by Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞
1786–1864
Inscription by Ryūtei Tanehiko 柳亭種
1783–1842
“The Nun Ryōnen (Ryōnen-ni)” from Kokon meifuden [Famous women of past and present]
1864 edition
Color woodblock print
14⅞ × 9¾ in. (37.8 × 24.8 cm)
2018.160

Small monochrome ink painting on yellowing paper. A few expressive strokes outline a robed figure facing away. Cursive and archaic style calligraphy occupy most of the space above.

Tagami Kikusha 田上菊舎
1753–1826
Hermit/Self-Portrait
Early 1800s
Ink on paper
11½ × 4⅝ in. (29.2 × 11.7 cm)
2018.222

Dozens of vertical, decorated paper slips with calligraphy are mounted haphazardly on faux folding screen made of transparent plexiglass. Their reflection in the mirror-like platform, enhanced by the dark room, creates a sense of floating.

Various artists
Poem Slips (tanzaku)
1700–1900s
Pigment, gold, silver, and ink on paper
Each approx. 13 × 2 in. (33 × 5 cm)
2018.181.3-44

Tall, narrow black lacquer box speckled with gold. Lid has a gold and silver lacquer image of an old man and deer sitting under a tree. The man wears voluminous robes, holds a staff, and has a long beard, mustache, and eyebrows.

Artist unknown
Poetry Slip Box (tanzaku) with God of Longevity (Juro–jin) and deer
1800s
Lacquer, wood, gold, silver, and cinnabar
15⅝ × 3½ × 1½ in. (39.7 × 8.9 × 3.8 cm)
2018.184.1A-B

Seven decorated vertical paper slips with calligraphy mounted on a two-paneled folding screen at alternating heights.

Attributed to Takabatake Shikibu 高畠式部
1785–1881
Seven Waka Poems
1800s
Ink on decorated paper
Overall 28 × 71 × ¾ in. (71.1 × 180.3 ×1.9 cm)
2018.226

Long, vertical paper slip with two sets of blue gradient patterns at top and bottom, inscribed with stylized Japanese calligraphy.

Sakuragi-dayū (The Tayū Sakuragi) 桜木太夫
Active mid- to late 1800s
Poetry Slip (tanzaku) with Poem on Pampas Grass (obana)
Mid-1800s
Pigment, gold, and ink on paper
13½ × 2¼ in. (34.3 × 5.6 cm)
2018.181.2

Long, horizontal sheet of beige paper speckled with gold inscribed with many short lines of cursive calligraphy at alternating heights. Calligraphy is fluid with a variety of line thicknesses.

Ōhashi-dayū (The Tayū Ōhashi) 大橋太夫
Active 1700s
Two Poems
Mid-1700s
Ink on paper
7½ × 36⅝ in. (145.4 × 96.5 cm)
2018.183

A square sheet of paper inscribed with flowing calligraphy, mounted on a vertical orange cloth with cream-colored clouds and green and gold embroidery.

Yuri of Gion 祇園の百合
1694–1764
Waka Poem
Mid-1700s
Ink on paper
11⅛ × 11⅞ in. (28.3 × 30.2 cm)
2018.186

Long, vertical paper slip with light grey marbled pattern inscribed with stylized Japanese calligraphy.

Kaji of Gion 祇園梶子
Active late 1600s
Waka Poem
Mid-1700s
Ink on paper
13⅜ × 2⅜ in. (34 × 6 cm)
2018.181.1

Dark brown ceramic vase with round body that tapers towards the top. Uneven surface is inscribed with stylized Japanese calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Sake Flask
1800s
Glazed ceramic
5¼ × 3 in. dia. (13.3 × 7.6 cm dia.)
2018.175

Round ceramic dish with edges pinched upwards to resemble lotus petals. Interior is inscribed with stylized Japanese calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Sweets Dish in the Form of a Lotus with Poem
1800s
Glazed ceramic
1¾ × 6 in. dia. (4.4 × 15.2 cm dia.)
2021.205

The branch of a knotted plum tree starts in the lower right-hand corner, and extends upwards with tapering branches and delicate blossoms. A signature and red stamp at the bottom center.

Tokuyama (Ike) Gyokuran 徳山(池)玉瀾
1727–1784
Blossoming Plum
Mid-1700s
Ink on paper
52¾ × 18⅜ in. (134 × 46.7 cm)
2018.208

Yellowed silk painted with nine turtles clamering up a rocky surface under a rising sun. Each turtle is accompanied by a signature.

Various artists
Turtles on New Year’s Morn
About 1894
Ink and color on silk
18⅞ ×12¾ in. (47.9 × 32.4 cm)
2018.202

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月 1791–1875 Teapot for Sencha Ceramic Gift of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, 2021.163A-B

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Teapot for Sencha
1800s
Ceramic
1¾ × 4¼ in. dia. (4.4 × 10.8 cm dia.)
2021.163A-B

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月 1791–1875 Set of Five Sencha Cups Glazed ceramic Gift of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, 2021.170.1-5

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Set of Five Sencha Cups
1800s
Glazed ceramic
Each approx. 1⅜ × 2 in. dia. (3.5 × 5.1 cm dia.)
2021.170.1-5

Unknown maker Lidded Wooden Box (tomobako) with Inscription by Priest Kōen of the Jinkō-in temple 1800s Wood Gift of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, RA.2021.198

Unknown maker
Lidded Wooden Box (tomobako) with Inscription by Priest Kōen of the Jinkō-in Temple
1800s
Wood
4¼ × 7¼ × 6¼ in. (10.8 × 18.4 × 15.9 cm)
RA.2021.198

Small and flat rectangular wooden plates with painting and cursive calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Sweets Plates with Paintings and Poems
1800s
Ink and color on cedar planks
Each 5¼ × 6½ × ¼ in. (13.3 × 16.5 × 0.6 cm)
2021.198.1-5

Ink painting of cross-legged female figure in flowing robes with long dark hair. Two lines of calligraphy at the top right and bottom left.

Tomioka Haruko 富岡春子
1847–1940
Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara)
1926
Ink on paper
14 × 12¾ in. (35.6 × 32.4 cm)
2018.251

Four vertical lines of calligraphy spaced out over an otherwise blank paper. The lines are of varying lengths, and they ascend in height from left to right. Two small red stamps under the line on the far left.

Kaga no Chiyo 加賀千代
1703–1775
Haiku (hokku) Poem
About 1755–75
Ink on paper
13⅞ × 17½ in. (35.2 × 44.5 cm)
2018.217

Two crickets crawl on wispy grasses in the lefthand side of the frame. The right is filled with eleven lines of calligraphy.

Attributed to Nonoguchi Ryūho 野々口立圃
1595–1669
Haibun and Haiga of Crickets
Mid-1600s
Ink on paper
9⅞ × 18¼ in. (25.1 × 46.4 cm)
2020.570

Seven lines of calligraphy in the lefthand side of the frame. On the right, a small thatch-roofed studio nestled into a mountainside flanked by budding branches.

Takabatake Shikibu 高畠式部
1785–1881
Mountain Studio in Early Spring
1800s
Ink on paper
12¼ × 17⅞ in. (31.1 × 45.4 cm)
2018.225

A bamboo branch with two smaller shoots with leaves on the lefthand side of the frame, and a poem in calligraphy on the right.

Takabatake Shikibu 高畠式部
1785–1881
Bamboo and Poem
1861
Ink on paper
12⅝ × 17½ in. (32.1 × 44.5 cm)
2018.224

Branches of pine, bamboo and plum blossom intertwine and fill the majority of the paper. Mushrooms sprout at the bottom. Calligraphy and red stamps in the middle-right.

Ema Saikō 江馬細香
1787–1861
The Three Friends of Winter
1857
Ink and light color on paper
46⅝ × 11 in. (118.4 × 27.9 cm)
2018.189

Bamboo branches start in the middle left of the composition. Two branches go up to the top of the frame and other leaves spread out to the bottom right. Japanese calligraphy and three red stamps in the top right corner.

Kamei Shōkin 亀井少琴
1798–1857
Bamboo
1821
Ink on silk
27¾ × 12¼ in. (70.5 × 31.1 cm)
2018.191

Four lines of Japanese calligraphy in the top left-hand corner, along with two red stamps. Five orchid plants dot the bottom half of the paper, with a red stamp in the bottom right corner.

Hashimoto Seik 橋本青江
1821–1898
Orchids
Mid-1800s
Ink on paper
56¼ × 14⅞ in. (142.9 × 37.8 cm)
2018.190

Tall painting of a steep cliffside with orchids jutting from the rocky surface. Stylized Japanese calligraphy along the right edge.

Okuhara Seiko 奥原晴湖
1837–1913
Orchids on a Cliff
1870–80s
Ink on paper
53⅞ × 13¼ in. (136.8 × 33.7 cm)
2018.206

A pair of sliding screen doors framed in brown wood. Colorful flowers span the two doors. The left door has ten lines of calligraphy in the upper left-hand corner.

Okuhara Seiko 奥原晴湖
1837–1913
Flowering Plants of the Four Seasons
1898
Ink and color on paper mounted on cabinet doors
Each 8⅞ × 12⅞ in. (22.5 × 32.7 cm)
2018.247A-B

A wicker basket overflowing with flowers and foliage sits in the bottom foreground of a vertical composition. Behind it, a tall narrow vase on a short plant stand also overspills with blooming flowers, verdant foliage, and a pine bough.

Noguchi Shōhin 野口小蘋
1847–1917
Cut Flowers and Pine Bough
Late 1800s–early 1900s
Ink and color on silk
49 × 17 in. (124.5 × 43.2 cm)
2018.196

Cream colored paper folding fan painted with mountain scene with red leaf tree.

Noguchi Shōhin 野口小蘋
1847–1917
Fan with Scene of Autumn Mountains and Mist
Late 1800s–early 1900s
Ink and light color on paper with bamboo support
9¼ × 15¼ × ½ in. (23.5 × 38.7 × 1.3 cm)
2018.195

Cream colored paper folding fan painted with mountain scene.

Noguchi Shōhin 野口小蘋
1847–1917
Fan with Summer Scene
Late 1800s
Ink and color on paper with bamboo and lacquered wood support
9 × 14¼ × ½ in. (22.9 × 36.2 × 1.3 cm)
2018.201

A gourd-shaped vase with vertical ridges. A dark hole in the center takes up about one third of the surface area.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Hanging Flower Vase (hana-ike) in the Shape of a Hechima Gourd
1800s
Ceramic
11 × 4½ in. dia. (27.9 × 11.4 cm dia.)
2021.184

Vertical painting of mountain waterfall flowing into a lake near trees and a small hut. Five lines of calligraphy in the top left corner.

Yanagawa (Chō) Kōran 柳川(張)紅蘭
1804–1879
Summer Landscape
1876
Ink on paper
41¾ × 14¾ in. (106 × 37.5 cm)
2018.207

Small, double-sided table screen. Each face bears a sweeping, powerfully brushed Japanese character that occupies most of the paper ground. Small red seals punctuate it.

Murase Myōdō 村瀬明道
1924–2013
Mu (no, nothingness) and Kan (barrier)
Late 1900s
Ink on paper with wood frame
Mu 13 × 23⅞ in. (33 × 60.6 cm)
Kan 15¼ × 23⅞ in. (38.7 × 60.6 cm)
2018.154A-C

A small frog leaps with outstretched limbs towards a delicately-brushed branch in the upper left-hand corner. Sprightly, cursive script occupies most of the paper ground, dwarfing the little frog.

Ōishi Junkyō 大石順教
1888–1968
Willow and Frog
Mid-1900s
Ink on paper
15 × 19¾ in. (38.1 × 50.2 cm)
2018.157

Two chrysanthemum blossoms in black ink in the upper right-hand of the frame rest atop a leafy stem that tapers to the bottom left. A signature and red stamp in the left-center.

Yamamoto Shōtō 山本緗桃
1757–1831
Chrysanthemums
Late 1700s–early 1800s
Ink, color, and gold on silk
9⅛ × 7⅜ in. (23.2 × 18.7 cm)
2018.216

On the left, a stick-figure-like sketch of a sign, barely balancing on a wobbly post. To the right, four lines of unsteady-looking calligraphy at varying heights.

Takabatake Shikibu 高畠式部
1785–1881
Signboard
1863
Ink on paper
11 × 11½ in. (27.9 × 29.2 cm)
2018.253

On the left, the moon looms large behind a Sakura branch rendered in soft ink and light ochres. On the right, a poem in thin calligraphy.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月
1791–1875
Moon, Blossoming Cherry, and Poem
1867
Ink and color on paper
14⅝ × 18¼ in. (37.1 × 46.4 cm)
2018.164

Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnstone Collection is organized by the Denver Art Museum and made possible through the generous gift of the John Fong and Colin Johnstone collection. Support is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Blakemore Foundation, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.