ARTIST : He was trained by Kishi Ganku his father-in-law and founder of the Kishi school and went on to lead the school in conjunction with his brother-in-law Kishi Gantai. Early in his career Renzan (1805-1859) followed Ganku's work closely though with increased exchanges with the Shijo school his work gained in freedom and personal expression. This pair of paintings references and seamlessly combines both traditions.
AGE : mid 19th century
SIZE : Each scroll measures 67'' by 18'' (170 by 46 cm). Each image measures 39'' by 14.5'' (100 by 37 cm).
DESCRIPTION : A pair of tiger and dragon paintings (Ryuko-zu) by the Kyoto artist Kishi Renzan.The dragon represents the east, spring and water in traditional Chinese cosmology - the tiger the west, autumn and wind. The tiger also represents the passive female principle or yin and the dragon the masculine spirit or yang. Together the pairing can be thought of as a representation of the world and even the entire cosmos.
TECHNIQUE : ink and color on silk
CONDITION : The works are in good original condition. There is mild discoloration to the silk.
