KISHI RENZAN: TIGER AND DRAGON

By Kishi Renzan (1805–1859), signed Renzan and Kishi no saku, each with seal
Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Ink on paper. Pair of hanging scrolls mounted in silk brocade with bone jikusaki (roller ends). The left scroll finely painted with a tiger, depicted as if fused with rock, brimming with predatory feline vitality. The tiger (tora), sovereign of the earthly realm, crouches upon an exposed cliff, its compact head and broad body exuding menace; the eyes gleam with slyness and attack-readiness, while the striped fur markings merge seamlessly into the rocky ground. The right scroll presents the celestial counterpart, the dragon (tatsu), emerging from surging vapors and wave-like clouds, executed in bold sweeping brushwork. The dragon’s head, adorned with backward-sweeping horns and barbels, is strikingly humanized with a yearning upward gaze. Both compositions reveal Renzan’s sensitive and vibrant brush, capable of dramatic condensation and expressive intensity.

Inscriptions: Left scroll signed Renzan 連山 with seal. Right scroll signed Kishi no saku 岸 之 作 with seal. The tomobako inscribed Renzan ryuko tsuifuku 蓮山 龍虎 対幅 [Pair of scrolls with Dragon and Tiger by Renzan].

Image SIZE (each) 103.7 × 27.7 cm
SIZE incl. mounting (each) 182.5 × 41 cm

Provenance: From a German private collection, acquired at Galerie Zacke in 2018.
Condition: Very good condition with some expected foxing throughout as visible in the catalog illustration. The painting has been professionally re-backed and the mounting restored. Presenting beautifully.

With a wood tomobako (storage box) inscribed to the cover.

The Kishi school of painters was founded by Kishi Ganku (1749–1838), a distinguished Japanese artist renowned for his vivid and powerful depictions of animals, particularly tigers and dragons. Ganku developed a distinctive style that integrated Chinese painting techniques with traditional Japanese esthetics, establishing a visual language that would define the school. Kishi Renzan (1805-1859) was the son-in-law and first pupil of Ganku.

The tiger and dragon are Chinese cosmological symbols of the balancing forces in the world, yin (the feminine aspect) and yang (the masculine aspect). The tiger's roar is also said to generate wind, and the dragon clouds. The screens may have originally been meant to express the fluctuating nature of the world as envisioned in the practice of military divination, or forecasting, based on the Yijing (Book of Changes).

Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related pair of paintings by the same artist, also depicting dragon and tiger, each scroll measuring 96 x 30.9 cm, at Christie’s, Japanese Art and Design, 14 May 2008, London, lot 349 (sold for GBP 3,250 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).