TANI BUNCHO (1763-1840): YUREI WITH SEVERED HEAD, DATED 1828

TANI BUNCHO (1763-1840): 'YUREI WITH SEVERED HEAD,' DATED 1828
Japan, dated 1828 by inscription. Ink and watercolor on paper. Mounted as a hanging scroll, on silk brocade coated paper. Finely painted, the ghostly figure stands clothed in heavy robes with its ghastly mouth agape, holding a severed head by the hair.
Inscriptions:
The bottom left reads, ‘Painted by Buncho, praying northwards to clouds in the early winter of the year of Tsuchinoene (Bunsei 11, 1828 in the Western Calendar year)’
Provenance:
From a British private collection of Japanese paintings, mostly focusing on paintings of Yurei and other bakemono. Two old collector’s labels within the box read, ‘Woman Obaki w/ head- on old brown paper sumi on white, ok blue mount,’ and ‘Obaki, DK blue brocade mount, sumi on paper w/ N and pale color paper cracked, fine - rare.’
Condition:
Wear, creasing, folds, minor losses, overall still presenting well. The silk brocade is in good condition with wear and traces of age.
Dimensions: Image size 97.2 x 29.2 cm, Size incl. mounting 173.5 x 42.9 cm
With a tomobako storage box. (2)
Expert’s note:
The direction towards the north is often associated with the deceased in Japan. During Buddhist funeral rites, the body of the deceased is oriented to the northern direction. This is the meaning behind the ritual of Kita-makura, meaning "Turning the dead person's head orientating to the north.”
Tani Buncho (1763-1841)
was a Japanese literati, painter, and poet. He was the son of the poet Tani Rokkoku (1729–1809). As his family were retainers of the Tayasu Family of descendants of the eighth Tokugawa shogun, Buncho inherited samurai status and received a stipend to meet the responsibilities this entailed. He studied under Kato Bunrei and Kitayama Kangen, developing a wide stylistic range.
Yurei-zu
are a genre of Japanese art consisting of painted or woodblock print images of ghosts, demons, and other supernatural beings. They are a subgenre of fuzokuga (‘pictures of manners and customs’). These types of artworks reached the peak of their popularity in Japan in 19th century.