俵屋宗達工房　月に秋草図屏風|Moon and Autumn Grasses

Tawaraya Sōtatsu

mid- to late 17th century · Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, silver, and gold flecks on paper · Asian Art

A large half-moon, once silver but now darkly oxidized, shines over a field of delicate autumn grasses. Tiny grains of gold are scattered throughout, and are especially dense around the moon. Since the Heian period (794–1185), the moon over an autumn field has been a favorite subject in Japan, with its stirring evocation of serenity, clarity, and nostalgia. Rinpa artists and members of the more traditional schools, such as Kano and Tosa, favored this subject during the first half of the seventeenth century. Here, the moon floating over the field creates a simple pattern. The signature in the lower right corner reads “Sōtatsu Hokkyō” (Sōtatsu holding the title of Bridge of the Law), and the seal reads “Taiseiken.”

Artist

Tawaraya Sōtatsu

Date

mid- to late 17th century

Medium

Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, silver, and gold flecks on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975