YOSHIZAWA SOZAN (ACT. 1875-85)

YOSHIZAWA SOZAN (ACT. 1875-85)
SHIBA KEISEN (ACT. 1900-30)
MEIJI OR LATER, 19TH/20TH CENTURY

Two Japanese kakemono (hanging scroll paintings), ink and colour on paper, the first depicting an armour-clad samurai beating a drum, with line of calligraphy above reading 'Hiroyasu Kyosaku was taken ill on the 21^st of June in Showa 21 (1946) and passed away at 5:10pm on the 26^th of the same month, with the posthumous Buddhist name Tenko Seiren Doji (a little boy called Heaven's Light and Blue Lotus)', his collar inscribed 'Harima Ako-roshi, Oishi Kuranosuke' and signed lower right corner Sozan ga (Painted by Sozan) and sealed Sozan, 102.5cm x 36.5cm; the other with a samurai helmet and sword, possibly a reference to the Tango no Sekku (Boys' Festival), signed Keisen and sealed Kamo agata nushi and Kohei; 120cm x 41cm. (2)

Provenance: an English private collection, Somerset, purchased in Japan.

The first painting depicts Oishi Kuranosuke, also known as Oishi Yoshio (1659-1703), who was the chamberlain (Karo) of the Ako Domain, Harima Province. Oishi was the leader of the Forty-Seven Rōnin (1702), and the hero of the Chūshingura (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers).