Lot 27: Chinese poetry and two colophons

Cai Shiyi (act. ca. 1595), with colophons by Sokuhi Nyoitsu (1616-1671) Hakuju Yoshin (1836-1925) Chinese poetry and two colophons Sokuhi’s colophon sealed Rinzai sanju-san sei, Sokuhi and Nyoitsu no in Handscroll; ink on silk and paper H. 13½in. (34.4cm.) x [1st sect. silk] 130¼in. (331.2cm.), [2nd sect. paper] 53in. (137.4cm.), [3rd sect. paper] 22in. (55.8cm.) (2)

John M. Rosenfield with Fumiko E. Cranston, Extraordinary Persons: Works by Eccentric, Nonconformist Japanese Artists of the Early Modern Era (1580-1868) in the Collection of Kimiko and John Powers, Vol. 1 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Art Museums, 1999), pp. 214-15, no. 50.

Masuyama family, Kawachi (present-day Osaka Prefecture)

This handscroll consists of three sections; the first is Chinese poetry written by a Ming official, Cai Shiyi, the second is a colophon by the Obaku monk Sokuhi Nyoitsu, and the third is another colophon by the modern scholar Hakuju Yoshin. The colophon by Sokuhi Nyoitsu was written between 1665 and 1668 while he was living in the Fukujuji Temple that he founded in present-day Fukuoka Prefecture. His colophon had been translated: The hand of Master Cai moves with heavenly power; The energy and refinement of his brush is a wondrous treasure. Second day of spring. Written by Sokuhi of [Mt.] Koju. May a thousand blessings follow Translation by Fumiko E. Cranston from Extraordinary Persons, Vol. 1 (1999), p. 214. Sokuhi Nyoitsu (Chinese: Jifei Ruyi) was a master calligrapher and known as one of Obaku no Sanpitsu (Three Brushes of Obaku)together with Ingen Ryuki and Mokuan Shoto.