Lot 290: NAKAI RANKO (1766-1830) Edo period (1615-1868), early 19th century Kake

NAKAI RANKO (1766-1830) Edo period (1615-1868), early 19th century Kakejiku (hanging scroll); ink and colours on silk mounted in silk, depicting the sennin Ranko holding a minogame beneath a large tree by a stretch of water, signed Ranko sha (Drawn by Ranko) with seals Tadashi no in, Ranko; with a wooden tomobako storage box inscribed outside Oan Sennin minogame no zu Nakai Ranko hitsu (Picture of Oan Sennin and a minogame, brushed by Nakai Ranko). Overall: 209cm x 73cm (82¼in x 28¾in); 129cm x 56cm (50¾in x 22in). (2).

Exhibited and Published Kaneko Nobuhisa and Oto Yumiko, Santo gaka kurabe: Kyo, Osaka o mite Edo o shiru (Artists of the Three Capitals: Learning About Edo Through Kyoto and Osaka), Fuchu, exhibition catalogue, Fuchu Art Museum, 2012, cat. no.61. One of the lesser known sennin, Oan (in Chinese, Heng An) is more usually shown riding on a minogame (magical hairy-tailed turtle) but here he holds it in his arms with a look of triumph and delight because the creature only pokes its head out from beneath its shell once in 3,000 years. The exaggerated expression of Oan’s face suggests the influence of the great painter Soga Shohaku (1730-1781), while the powerful lines of his robes reflect the artist’s extensive experience as an illustrator of black-and-white woodblock-printed books. A native of Osaka, Ranko was widely schooled in Chinese painting styles and subjects.