Ueda Kochu, Kofu “The Little Ainu Bear”

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IItem No.	J178
Title	“The Little Ainu Bear”（ink and color on paper）
Overall size	174.0cm×39.5cm
Artwork size	92.0cm×28.5cm
Artist	Ueda Kochu（1819〜1911）, Ueda Kofu（1758〜1831）
Date Created	Early 19th century
Price	¥2,500,000（excluding tax ）

　A bear cub peeks out from its den. It looks as if it is turning its snout upward, its nose twitching at the scent of the air.
　The use of dark, blurred black ink skillfully depicts the hard fur of the bear’s body. The large, glaring eyes, clenched teeth, and bristled body hair suggest that the bear is on the lookout for its surroundings. Kochu beautifully depicts the resilience of a cub surviving in the harsh natural environment.

　Another highlight of this work is the Ainu design on the front cover. The Ainu design, which is meant to ward off evil, is often used on the cuffs and collar, where it is believed that evil spirits enter. This type of Ainu design is very rare and eye-catching.
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　Ueda Kochu (1819-1911) was a painter active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era. The son of Kofu Ueda (1758-1831), a painter of the Shijo school, he studied painting in Osaka under Kōin Nagayama (1765-1849).
　He is known to have excelled in flower-and-bird paintings. His skill can be seen in works such as “Hawk Hunting and Old Pine Tree in Snow” at Osaka Temmangu Shrine.

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.