Page 70 - Christie's Dec 2, 2015 Scholars Rocks, Hong Kong

3016

A SMALL JAPANESE FURUYAISHI ROCK MOUNTAIN ACCOMPANIED
WITH A MOUNTED ALBUM OF COMMENTARIES BY VARIOUS
CONNOISSEURS

JAPAN, LATE EDO PERIOD

The horizontal stone with pointed ridges resembling a craggy mountain, the surface with

natural calcite striations representing waterfalls gushing out from valleys.
5æ in. (14.5 cm.) wide, wood stand, Japanese wood box with signature of Yamomoto Baiitsu
dated to 1852, within a larger Japanese wood box with signature of Tani Tetsuomi dated to 1875

HK$240,000-400,000 US$32,000-52,000

PROVENANCE

Collection of Kosugi, according to the album, probably Kosugi Goroemon (1785-1854), a Japanese
entrepreneur active in Omi area during the late Edo period
Yamamoto Baiitsu (1783-1856), a renowned Japanese painter
Collection of Ichida, according to the album, probably Ichida Yaichirou (1843-1906), a Japanese
entrepreneur active in Omi area during the Meiji period
Signed Nyoiou and Taiko on the Japanese wood box, studio names of Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905),
a Japanese poet active in Omi area during the Meiji period
Seal reading ‘Chisendou’ on the Japanese wood box, studio name of Okumura Chikutei (1873-
1927), a Japanese seal carver

The current rock mountain is fitted within two Japanese wood boxes. The cover of the smaller
wood box is inscribed on one side with the characters long men (dragon gate), signed Gyokuzen;
the other side with an inscription by Gyokuzen with a cyclical renzi date corresponding to
1852, explaining that he has renamed the rock ‘Mount Horai (Penglai)’, an immortal dwelling
supported on a turtle’s back in Chinese mythology, due to its resemblance of the underside thatis
similiar to the texture of a turtle shell. Gyokuzen is the studio name of the renowned literati
painter Yamamoto Baiitsu (1783-1856), who was active during the late Edo period. The other
larger wood box is inscribed on one side of the cover with the characters reading Mount Horai,
signed Nyoiou with a cyclical yihai date corresponding to 1875, and a seal reading Taiko; the
other side with a seal Chisendou. Nyoiou and Taiko are both studio names of the Meiji-period
poet Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905) active in the Omi area, while Chisendou is the studio name of
the seal carver Okumura Chikutei (1873-1927).

The rock is also accompanied by a mounted album with commentaries by 15 literati active in
the Omi and Kyoto areas during the late 19th to early 20th century. In this album, the painter
Murata Koukoku (1831-1912) portrayed the present rock mountain in two illustrations, and in
a commentary dated to 1873 noted that the rock was originally possessed by Kosugi, and later
came into the collection of Yamamoto Baiitsu, whom first named the rock ‘Dragon Gate’ and
then ‘Mount Horai’. Its ownership had thence been transferred to Ichida. It is likely that Kosugi
refers to Kosugi Goroemon (1785-1854), a Japanese entrepreneur active in Omi area during the
late Edo period, while Ichida refers to Ichida Yaichirou (1843-1906), a Japanese entrepreneur
active in Omi area during the Meiji period. Since the larger wood box bears the signature of
Tani Tetsuomi dated to 1875 on one side and the seal of Okumura Chikutei on the other, it is
possible that the rock mountain was later passed on to Okumura Chikutei and then to Okumura
Chikutei.

The 15 literati participating in the making of this album include: Murata Koukoku (1831-
1912), Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905), Yamanaka Ken 1822-1885, Kamiyama Houyou 1824-1889,
Ema Tenkou (1825-1901), Jin Shiheng (act. Guangxu period) , Tanabe Hekidou (1864-1931),
Nakamura Tansui , Okamoto Yu 1810-1897, Katayama Tsutomu, Hayashi Sokyou (1828-1896),
Ichimura Ken 1842-1899, most of whom had poems included in the publication Nihon Dojin
Shisen, which was published in 1883 in Japan and compiled by the Chinese poet Chen Manshou
who travelled to Japan in the late 19th century and became associated with the literati circle in
Omi and Kyoto areas.

68 BEYOND WHITE CLOUDS 出雲疊嶂 — 文人案頭賞石