Part 7 (1/2)
[Chapter 6 Head-Band: The chrysanthemum pattern]
CHAPTER SIX SUBJECTS FOR japANESE PAINTING
(GWA DAI)
A japanese artist will never of his own accord paint a flower out of season or a spring landscape in autus insensibly influences him From ancient times certain principles have deter either to the period of the year or to the festivals, ceremonies, entertainments or other events he may be required to commemorate All such subjects are called GWA DAI As one without soe of these cannot appreciateabout art custoinning with those subjects suitable to the different months of the year:
January-For New Year's day (SHO GWATSU GWAN JITSU) favorite subjects are ”the sun rising above the ocean,” called _hi no de ni nami_ (_Plate LIV_ No 1); ”Mount Horai” (2), ”the sun with storks and tortoises” (3, 4, 5); or ”fukurokuju,” a God of good luck Many s are associated with these subjects The sun never changes and the ocean is ever changing, hence IN YO is symbolized The sun, the ocean and the circumambient air symbolize TEN CHI JIN or the universe Horai (SAN) is a symbol for japan It is the lofty mountain on a fabled island in the distant sea, referred to in early Chinese writings, inhabited by sages (SEN NIN), and containing the pine, bamboo and plu for longevity, the barace The stork and the tortoise, whose back is covered with seaweed, both typify long life, the ancient saying being that the stork lives for one thousand and the tortoise for ten thousand years _(tsuru wa_ SEN NEN, _kaood luck, whose na life On New Year's day are suspended on either side of his picture bamboo and plum subjects (_Plate LV_, 1, 2, 3) This jovial God's name is sometimes happily interpreted by a triple _kakemono_ (SAN BUKU TSUI): Thelife (JU); on the right, rice grains, for wealth (ROKU), and on the left the flower of the cotton plant, for happiness (fukU), because its corolla is golden and its fruit silvery, the gold and silver suggesting felicity (_Plate LVI_, 1, 2, 3) Thiscoy in connection with the naood luck would unfold solyphical beginnings, fukU signifies blessings froricultural pursuits, associated hite hair
An especially appropriate picture for this season of great festivity is called ”the pine at the gate” _(kado matsu)_ It co pine trees at the entrance to japanese public buildings and private residences From the rope _(shi+menawa)_ (_Plate LV_, 4) are suspended strips of white paper _(gohei)_ typifying purity of the soul; these hang in groups of three, five and seven, the odd or lucky number series associated with the positive or male principle (YO) of IN YO Another appropriate subject for this early season of the year is rice cakes _(mochi)_ in the shapes of the sun and full moon (_Plate LV_, 5) In the picture the fruit called _dai dai_ is placed on the top of the rice cakes, the word DAI evity At the base of the stand is a prawn _(ebi)_ This equally suggests old age because the prawn is bent in two
The leaf of the _yuzuri_ is introduced because it is an auspicious word and means succession The picture of a battledoor and shuttlecock _(hagoita)_ is also appropriate for New Year as it co in that pasti January a very popular picture for the alcove _(tokonoma)_ is the treasureshi+p, called _taka-rabune_ (_Plate LVI_, 5) The vessel as it sails into port is heavily laden with all of the various tools and utensils typifying great wealth to be found in the capacious bag of Dai Koku, a japanese God of good luck These are a ball, a hahts, cloves, silver bronze, and the God's raincoat and hat On the evening of the second of January if the painting of a treasureshi+p be put under the pillow and one drea he will be fortunate It will be observed that on the sail of the treasure boat is inscribed the Chinese character for TAKARA,treasure On the seventh day of January occurs the first of the five holidays, called _go sekku,_ and vegetable subjects are painted These are called the seven grasses _(hotoke za_ or _nana kusa)_ and consist of parsley, shepherd's purse, chickweed, saint's seat, wild turnip and radish They are susceptible of ns are often evolved (_Plate LVII_, 6)
February-The cock and the hen, with the budding plum branch, are now appropriate The subject is known as the ”plum and chickens” _(uures in the earliest history of japan When the cock crows the japanese hear the words KOKKA KOO, which, phonetically rendered into Chinese characters, read ”happiness to our entire land” The Chinese hear differently To the ”the eastern heavens are reddening,” so to thes of chickens have come from the brushes of Okyo, Tessan (_Plate III_), and others of the Maruya February, the s are of that flower and the japanese warbler _(u bird announces the spring with its melodious notes (HOHO KEKYO), which, rendered by the Buddhist into Chinese characters, give the nahteen volumes of Shaka, entitled, ”the marvelous law of the lotus” Another picture suitable to February is known as ”the last of the snow” _(zan setsu)_ (_Plate LVII_, 3)
March-This month is associated with the peach blosso peach trees, called _momo no_ EN (_Plate LVII_, 4), are in favor Toba Saku is related to have lived eight thousand years subsisting upon the fruit of the peach; hence, the peach blossoevity, and _sake_ hout japan in March One of the s in Chinese literature is RAN-TEI KIOKA SUI It commemorates a pastime of the learned, called ”the _sake_ cup” A favorite way of interpreting this subject is to paint a garden of blosso a flowing strea to a peach branch a narrow paper (TANJAKU) upon which he has written a poem
Another faarden festival,” written by Ri Tai Haku at the age of fourteen years, is interpreted by depicting Toba Saku in a garden seated before a table, with three Chinese beauties attendant upon hi midst the flowers and blossoo sekku,_ occur respectively on the seventh day of January, the third day of March, the fifth day of May, the seventh day of July and the ninth day of Septe on the odd days of the odd months (the YO of IN YO) On the third day of the third irls, and the appropriate painting for the occasion is called _kareatest japanese artists of the past have vied to make their treatment of this subject superb When a fe is presented to the family to contribute to the festivities The month of March is the month of the cherry blossom _(sakura bana),_ and the picture on _Plate LVIII_, 1, illustrates onetheMarch picnic parties go upon the beach at low tide to gather shell-fish The subject illustrated on _Plate LVIII_, 2, called ebb-tide _(shi+o hi),_ is appropriate The picture of the maiden Saohime (_Plate LVIII_, 3) is also painted in March
April-The wistaria flower _(Juji)_ is associated with the fourth month and all April landscapes represent the trees covered with e A small bird called _sudachi dori,_ hatched in this month, is often painted on the wistaria branch (_Plate LVIII_, 4) The picture typifies parental affection, on account of the known solicitude of the
May-There are many subjects appropriate for May The iris _(shobu)_ (_Plate LVIII_, 5) now -bladed leaves are sword shaped, therefore the plant symbolizes the warrior spirit _(bushi+)_ The iris is often planted upon the roof of a house to indicate that there are male children in the faisu)_ (_Plate LVIII_, 6) is special to this month The fifth of May is the boys' festival, and the carp _(koi)_ (_Plate LIX_, 1) is the favorite subject for painting May is the rainythis month ascended to the top of the waterfall RYU MON in China and becaon The carp thus typifies the triu of obstacles-and syht and about to be cut up alive for _sasshi+mi,_ a japanese delicacy, once the carver has passed the flat side of the knife blade over the body of the fish the _koi_ beco sliced to the backbone Served in a dish, a few drops of _soy_ being placed in its eye it leaps upward in a last struggle, to fall apart in many pieces When a male child is born a proper present to the family is a carp _kakemono_ The fifth day of the fifth reat victory of the japanese over Kublai Khan, ith an enormous fleet of Chinese vessels, attempted to invade japan in the thirteenth century
June-In this warm month the GWA DAI or picture subject is waterfalls (_Plate LIX_, 2), although it is quite allowable on account of the heat of su snow scenes with crows (SETCHU _ni karasu)_ for a color contrast (_Plate LIX_, 3) All pictures painted during thesensations A charh an open baetation into a pool belohere a little bird is bathing This picture is technically known as _kakehi_ (_Plate LIX_, 4)
July-During this rasses of autu of the bush clover, the wild pink, the lory, et cetera This is most difficult to paint on account of the extre of the brush, but a skilful artist can produceeffects All sorts of wonderfully shaped insects as well as birds of brilliant plue are permitted in the picture The seventh day of July is known as the festival of the stars, and _Kengyu,_ the swain, and _Orihime,_ the maiden, are painted July is a es, the five hundred rakkan disciples of Shaka and the sixteen rakkans are painted There are two other subjects appropriate, known as _Tanabata_ (_Plate LIX_, 5) and _Nazunauchi_ (_Plate LXIV_, 4)
August-The first grain of the year is now offered to the Gods A char called stacked rice and sparrows _(inamura ni suzume)_ (_Plate LX_, 1) The rabbit and the i_ (_Plate LX_, 2), because the rabbit is seen in the etsu_ (_Plate LX_, 3) also co of the products of the soil to the ust, landscapes half concealed in mist are painted The Kano artist, Tanyu, leaned est the tranquility of eventide Such subjects are known as iri)_ (_Plate LX_, 4) The japanese have their wo procured and drunk of the ambrosia of hermits _(sennin)_ is said to have entered that planet
The picture is an engaging one (_Plate LX_, 6), the upper portion of Joga's body being in the moon's disc and the lower portion in fleecy clouds
September-The ninth day of the ninth month is the festival of the chrysanthemum (KIKU NO SEKKU), when _sake_ made fro inadvertently touched with his foot the pillow of the emperor, was banished to a distant isle where, it is said, he was nourished by the dew of the chrysanthe a hermit, he lived one thousand years Seasonal pictures for this month commemorate this event, or reproduce the yellow and white chrysantherasses and the dragon-fly _(mizukusa ni tombo)_ (_Plate LXI_, 5)
Tatsuta hime (_Plate LXI_, 2) is also painted She is the autumn divinity, associated with the brilliant, warm and resplendent colors of the autueous hues Pictures of the deer and the early maples _(hatsu momiji ni shi+ka)_ (_Plate LXI_, 3) are now appropriate A favorite autu, on a block, of hoive it lustre
A poor peasant woman and her child are both occupied at the task under the rays of the full moon (_Plate LXIV_, 4) The sound of the blows on the block is said to suggest sad feelings It is a law for painting such ht scenes that no red color be introduced, as red does not show in the ht (GEKKA _no_ KO SHOKU _nashi+)_
[Fujiyao no Ura, by Yao no Ura, by Yaeese coht the face of the moon are a favorite subject, known as _tsuki ni_ GAN (_Plate LXI_, 4) Other subjects are ”autumn fruits” _(aki no rapes and mushrooms; monkeys and persirapes (RISU _ni_ BUDO) (_Plate LXII_, 1); and the evergreen pine _(kayenuconstancy (_Plate LXII_, 2)
Noveood luck (_Plate LXII_, 3) He was the first trader, his stock being the TAI fish
He is the favorite God of thethis month, celebrate his festival Evesa with a TAI under his arm The Kano artists particularly favored this subject