Japanese Screen Painting, circa 1700 ‘Horses’ by Kano Tanshin

Kano Tanshin Morimasa (1653-1718)

Two-panel tea-ceremony Japanese screen or furosaki

Ink on gold leaf,

late 17th-early 18th century

Measures: H 55 cm x W 182 cm

The Kano school was closely aligned with the warrior class in Japan. The samurai, who lived in a closed and rigid hierarchical society established by the Shogunate, were drawn to the energy and freedom horses symbolize; Kano school artists commonly depicted the equine creatures as they are here, in unfettered and carefree family groups. China originally introduced horse paintings to Japan; the works typically focused on capturing the essence of horses in their various environments and often involved integrating human figures into the images.

Kano Tanshin Morimasa (1653-1718) was the son of Kano Tanyu (1602-1674) by his second wife. Tanyu had originally planned for Kano Toun Masanobu to succeed him as head of his Kajibashi Kano branch; the late birth of his son, however, altered that plan. Upon his father’s death in 1674, Tanshin became head of the Kajibashi. He painted in the manner of his father; his work characterized by a light, carefree style, with an exquisite sense of color. Tanshin received the honorary Buddhist title of Hogan (eye of the law) in 1715. This tea-ceremony screen predates that.