KANO ISEN’IN NAGANOBU: A FINE PAIR OF SIX-PANEL CHUGATA BYOBU (MEDIUM-SIZED FOLDING SCREENS) DEPICTING BIRDS IN A LANDSCAPE
Lot 306 - JPN0625

By Kano Isen’in Naganobu (1775-1828), signed Isen'in hoin hitsu with seals
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Ink, watercolors, and gold paint on silk. Each small size Hina byobu mounted on silk brocade on six wood panels with copper fittings. Each panel is finely painted with birds like tanchozuru (red crowned cranes), pheasants, Ryukyu robin, Japanese tit, and magpie. The plumage of the birds is beautifully rendered with vibrant feathers. All set within a mountainous landscape with gushing waterfalls, rolling hills, bamboo, pines, and foliate blossoms like cherry, prunus, and peony.

Inscriptions: The first panel signed Isen'in hoin hitsu with seal Genshosai and the second panel signed Isen'in hoin hitsu with seal Naganobu.

SIZE 70 x 186 cm (each)

Condition: Very good condition with old wear and good colors. Few stains and flaking to pigment. The back with traces of wear and use.
Provenance: Ex-collection of Dr. Reinhard Lohrberg (1943-2024), Hanover, acquired from Kanegae Oriental Art, Kyoto, on 5 October 2010. A copy of the collector’s notes, no. 27, stating a purchase price of JPY 3,800,000, or approx. EUR 27,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot.

Kano Isen’in Naganobu (1775-1828) was an important Japanese painter, the son and pupil of Kano Yosen'in Korenobu (1753-1808), whom he succeeded as seventh-generation head of the Kobikicho branch of the Edo Kano school founded by Kano Naonobu (1607-50). As such he would have had privileged access to study antique Chinese and Japanese paintings in the collections of the Shogunate and feudal lords. Naganobu was granted the title ‘hogen’ (‘Eye of the Law’) in 1802 and was subsequently elevated to the highest ‘hoin’ (Seal of the Law) rank in 1816.

Chugata byobu (medium-sized folding screens) played a vital role in early modern Japanese visual culture, bridging the gap between grand architectural byobu and miniature festival screens. Valued for their versatility and refined craftsmanship, they were used in formal and ceremonial settings, particularly within daimyo (feudal lord) residences, to enhance the presentation of important objects or seasonal displays. Adorned with gold leaf, poetic landscapes, or classical motifs, these screens were not merely decorative; they were powerful expressions of cultural authority, esthetic sophistication, and social status in elite circles.