6th Dec, 2024 10:00

Fine Japanese Art

 
  Lot 262
 

262

YAMAGUCHI SOKEN (1759-1818): A COURTESAN PLAYING WITH A CAT

Sold for €1,430

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

By Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818), signed Soken giga, with the artist's seal Sansai.
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Ink, watercolor, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on cardboard and set inside a passe-partout, framed, behind glass. Finely painted with a young Geisha clad in a long, flowing kimono with an ornamental obi, depicted playfully interacting with a cat, beside a near-transparent mosquito net. The portrayal is subtly sensual, the cleavage of the young woman revealing her youthful décolletage.

Inscriptions: Signed to the lower left 素絢戯画 Soken giga [Painted by Soken in amusement] with the seal 山斎 Sansai (one of the art names that Soken used). The poem at the upper margin, composed and inscribed by Shokusanjin (Ota Nanpo): 猫乃眼の、玉子乃肌と、玉くれの、うらむつらみ、ミるを申し茅 ‘Neko no me no, tamago no hada wo, tamagure no, uramu tsurami, miru wo moushi kaya’ [The cat's eye, my skin white and polished like an egg, such playful whims and painful reproaches, the mosquito net witnesses everything].

SIZE (image) 37,5 x 14,5 cm, SIZE (incl. frame) 48 x 24 cm

Condition: Very good condition with excellently preserved colors, minor traces of age and wear, and some foxing.

Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818) was a renowned Japanese painter affiliated with the Maruyama Shijō school, recognized for his exceptional skills, particularly in depicting beautiful women. As the son of a kimono merchant, he developed a keen understanding of women's fashion and lifestyle, which he skillfully incorporated into his art. Beyond his portraits of women, Soken excelled in landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, and genre scenes, often capturing the vibrant culture and customs of Kyoto in a lighthearted manner. His artistic talents extended beyond traditional paintings, as evidenced by his illustrated books and collaborative works with other artists. Soken's works are highly sought after and can be found in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. His legacy as a talented and versatile artist continues to inspire and captivate art enthusiasts today.

Museum comparison:
For a related scroll painting of a Kyoto Geisha by the same artist, see the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.111.1.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related two-panel scroll painting of three court ladies, by the same artist, (size 164.6 x 171.8 cm), at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 22 September 2004, New York. lot 183 (sold for USD 65,725).

 

By Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818), signed Soken giga, with the artist's seal Sansai.
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Ink, watercolor, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on cardboard and set inside a passe-partout, framed, behind glass. Finely painted with a young Geisha clad in a long, flowing kimono with an ornamental obi, depicted playfully interacting with a cat, beside a near-transparent mosquito net. The portrayal is subtly sensual, the cleavage of the young woman revealing her youthful décolletage.

Inscriptions: Signed to the lower left 素絢戯画 Soken giga [Painted by Soken in amusement] with the seal 山斎 Sansai (one of the art names that Soken used). The poem at the upper margin, composed and inscribed by Shokusanjin (Ota Nanpo): 猫乃眼の、玉子乃肌と、玉くれの、うらむつらみ、ミるを申し茅 ‘Neko no me no, tamago no hada wo, tamagure no, uramu tsurami, miru wo moushi kaya’ [The cat's eye, my skin white and polished like an egg, such playful whims and painful reproaches, the mosquito net witnesses everything].

SIZE (image) 37,5 x 14,5 cm, SIZE (incl. frame) 48 x 24 cm

Condition: Very good condition with excellently preserved colors, minor traces of age and wear, and some foxing.

Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818) was a renowned Japanese painter affiliated with the Maruyama Shijō school, recognized for his exceptional skills, particularly in depicting beautiful women. As the son of a kimono merchant, he developed a keen understanding of women's fashion and lifestyle, which he skillfully incorporated into his art. Beyond his portraits of women, Soken excelled in landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, and genre scenes, often capturing the vibrant culture and customs of Kyoto in a lighthearted manner. His artistic talents extended beyond traditional paintings, as evidenced by his illustrated books and collaborative works with other artists. Soken's works are highly sought after and can be found in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. His legacy as a talented and versatile artist continues to inspire and captivate art enthusiasts today.

Museum comparison:
For a related scroll painting of a Kyoto Geisha by the same artist, see the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.111.1.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related two-panel scroll painting of three court ladies, by the same artist, (size 164.6 x 171.8 cm), at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 22 September 2004, New York. lot 183 (sold for USD 65,725).

Zacke Live Online Bidding

Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.

To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins. 

Create an Account

  

Intended Spend and Bid Limits

When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'. 

Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT.  For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.

 

Online Absentee and Telephone Bids

You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website! 

Absentee Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding Form

 

Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form

You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page. 

 

How-To Guides

How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online

 

中文版本的操作指南 

创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍(免平台费)
缺席投标和电话投标

 

Third-Party Bidding

We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:

  • 51 Bid Live
  • EpaiLive
  • ArtFoxLive
  • Invaluable
  • LiveAuctioneers
  • the-saleroom
  • lot-tissimo
  • Drouot

Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.

  

Bidding in Person

You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.