Nakamura Hochu “Jurojin”

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IItem No.
Title	Jurojin
Overall size
Artwork size
Artist	Nakamura Hochu（？〜1899）
Date Created	18-19th century
Price	¥1,000,000（excluding tax ）

　This is a cute and humorous Jurojin. His partner, a deer, is shyly hiding behind Jurojin. This work was created by Nakamura Hochu (?~1819), a popular painter of the Edo period.

　The long head and the eyes with small dots are the familiar features of Jurojin. The low stature of the figure makes it look like a doll or a figurine.Rather than drawing the figure in fine detail, it looks as if it was drawn roughly and quickly. The expression on the face is so peaceful and relaxing that it makes us feel at ease.
　The overall outline is drawn with strange lines that are chipped in places and have strange irregularities. It is thought that this work was probably painted with a different painting medium than the brush.
　
　Although Hochu is generally considered to be related to the Rimpa school, he was famous in Osaka at the time for his unusual painting style, such as shitoga (painting with fingers and fingernails instead of a brush). In addition, some of Hochu’s works are said to have been painted with a smoking pipe, suggesting that he was a painter who liked to use unusual painting materials.
　The inscription on this painting says, “以鶏卵鳳冲冩”, which means that he painted with eggs.It is not clear whether he used eggshells or chicken eggs mixed into the paint, but it is thought that he painted in this way as part of a performance, resulting in these strange outlines. People who were present must have been astonished！
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　Nakamura Hochu was born in Kyoto, moved to Osaka at a young age, and was a popular painter of his time. Based on his finger painting and posthumous works, it is believed that he studied under Ike Taiga (1723-1776) for a time. In 1802, he published “Korin Gafu (Album of Korin’s Paintings).

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.