various artists “Various Fish”

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IItem No.
Title	“Various Fish”
Overall size	212.0cm×78.5cm
Artwork size	135.0cm×63.5cm
Artist	By various artists
Date Created	1890-1918
Price	￥400,000（excluding tax）

　This work is a collaboration by Aoki Seiko and other painters active during the Meiji and Taisho periods. A total of nine painters depicted nine types of fish.
　Squid, octopus, sea bream, and other fish are depicted in a lifelike manner. When observed closely, each artist has his or her own distinctive style of painting. The hammerhead shark is characterized by a brush stroke that makes the most of blotches. The squid is clear and white, indicating that it is fresh. The sea bream sitting majestically in the center of the painting has each of its scales carefully drawn and dotted with green in places. The clear eyes are painted blue.
　Each fish is skillfully represented in a very lively manner, making this a very impressive piece of art.

①Flounder … Aoki Seiko (1880-unknown)
　Born in Gifu Prefecture. He was a painter of the Shijo school and painted many tigers.

②Hammerhead shark … Suzuki Shonen (1848-1918)
　Born as the eldest son of Suzuki Hyakunen, he learned painting from his father from an early age. He excelled at portraits, and was called “the Shohaku of today.” In 1881, he taught at the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting and won awards at the National Industrial Exhibition. He was Uemura Shoen’s first teacher.

③Octopus … Asami Kojo (1890-1974)
　Born in Hyogo Prefecture. After studying painting under Mori Getsujo, he studied under Nishiyama Suisho in Kyoto and became renowned for his flower-and-bird paintings. In 1915, “Pottery Kiln” was selected for the first time at the Bunten Exhibition, and subsequently won prizes at various art exhibitions. In 1928, he established the Chukyo Art Institute.

④Rhinogobius (Ishibushi) … Ishikawa Chikuson(1884-1952)
　His style of painting is unrestrained. According to his student, Yoshito Kaneda, he was praised as a master of the brush.
*Ishibushi is the name given to a freshwater fish of the goby family, Rhinogobiust, in the coastal region of Lake Biwa.

⑤Squid … Arakawa Seien (1887-1957)
　Born in Nagoya. His name was Shutaro and his painting name was Shuho. He was skilled in Buddhist painting.

⑥Kohada … Hatano Ichigaku (1877-1957)
　Studied under Okumura Sekiran , Washimi Shungaku, Oda Kyosai, and Kodera Unto. His work was selected for the National Exposition.

⑦Sea bream … Matsuda Kyotei (1887-1965)
　He first studied Namboku Goho painting under Oda Kyosai, then moved to Tokyo to study under Ikegami Shuho.
　He was a close friend of Oda Kyôitsu, Hatano Ichigaku , Kano Baisai, and others, and was known as “Kyôtei of the sea bream,” an outstanding painter of sea bream.

⑧Turban shell … Fujishima Kasen (1866-1929)
　His painting titles include 年美, 永柳, and 華僊, and he studied painting at the age of 12 under several painters, including Aoyama Suizan and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. He excelled at portraiture, and was most noted for his Kannon and Arhat paintings.
　He exhibited his works at Bunten and other prominent art exhibitions, winning silver and bronze medals and certificates of commendation. He devoted himself to the development of the Chukyo art world.

⑨Rockfish … Kodera Sosen(1882-1945)
　Born in Nagoya. Also known as “公遷”（Kousen）. Exhibited at the Japan Art Association Exhibition and other shows.

As an antique, it may have some scratches or blemishes. We recommend that you visit our store to check the condition.
If you wish, we will send you detailed photos of the item, so please feel free to contact us.