Ike-no TAIGA

(Japan 1723–1776)

Title

Taigadô Gafu

Alternative title:

Album of paintings by Taigadô

Place of origin

Japan

Period

Edo (Tokugawa) period 1615 - 1868 → Japan

Year

1804

Media categories

Print, Book

Materials used

folded book: 32 leaves, 24 prints, colour woodcut

Dimensions

29.8 x 19.1cm leaf; 29.8 x 19.2 x 1.8cm closed book; 29.8 x 38.3cm open book:

1 - Untitled (a tree without leaves); 24 x 8cm

2 - Untitled (a tree with small leaves); 18 x 15.5cm

3 - Untitled (a tree); 27 x 20cm

4 - Untitled (trees); 26.5 x 37cm

5 - Untitled (trees); 26 x 37cm

6 - Untitled (trees); 21 x 36cm

7 - Untitled (a pine tree); 26 x 37.9cm

8 - Untitled (rocks); 23 x 31cm

9 - Untitled (rocks); 13 x 34cm

10 - Untitled (mountains); 25 x 36.2cm

11 - Untitled (mountains); 26.5 x 38.1cm

12 - Untitled (mountains); 27.5 x 34.8cm

13 - Untitled (mountains); 26.5 x 37.5cm

14 - Untitled (mountains); 26.5 x 35cm

15 - Untitled (mountains and three trees); 27.2 x 38cm

16 - Untitled (figures); 21 x 37.5cm

17 - Untitled (figures); 17 x 30.5cm

18 - Untitled (figures); 19 x 31.7cm

19 - Untitled (figures playing instruments in a garden); 27 x 38.1cm

20 - Untitled (figures fishing on boats); 20.5 x 38.1cm

21 - Untitled (boats on the river); 28 x 38.1cm

22 - Untitled (houses by water); 26.6 x 35.5cm

23 - Untitled (view of city from mountain); 25 x 36cm

24 - Untitled (a cave halfway up the mountain); 27.5 x 36.5cm

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1983

Accession number

269.1983.a-ff

Location

Not on display

Further information

Taiga came from a commoner's family and lost his father when he was four. From an early age he showed talent in Chinese studies at Manpukuji temple, built in 1669 as the main temple of the Chinese Obaku sect of Zen Buddhism and a mecca for Chinese studies throughout the Edo period. Japanese artists developed the Chinese literati style largely by studying painting and woodblock-printed books such as the famous 'Mustard seed garden manual of painting', originally published in China (1679/1707) and brought to Japan in the following decades. Following this example, Taiga published his own manual, from which these prints are taken, and inspired a following of many artists.

The Asian Collections, AGNSW, 2003, pg.238.

Bibliography (3)

Christie's New York, Christie's New York: Japanese and Korean Art, New York, 19 Sep 2000, 93 (illus.). cat. no. 146

Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, 'Edo Painting Schools', Domain, 2003, 238 (colour illus.). The two images shown are: above - verso leaf m and leaf n; below - verso leaf q and leaf r

Jackie Menzies, Art of the Brush - Chinese & Japanese painting calligraphy 1995, Sydney, 1995, 23.

Exhibition history (1)

Art of the brush, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 23 Sep 1995–12 Nov 1995