Hisho fuga [Sleepless without sake].

£2,500 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

A charming Edo-period hand-scroll of charming scenes illustrating Edo drinking culture. Ten male figures are shown, each accompanied by a humorous verse which shows them progressively drinking more - starting with one cup finishing with one cask. The signature ‘Taigado Shujin’ literally means ‘Master of the Taiga Hall’ which was the pseudonym of Ike no Taiga (1723-1776), the famous calligrapher and Nanga artist. However, it is likely to have been produced by Aoki Geppo (aka Shinryo, 1760-1839) who formally inherited the name Taigado II after the death of the Master. He looked after the Taigado memorial hall which was located in the grounds of Sorinji Temple in Kyoto and continued to paint in order to pay for the upkeep of the hall. The last line of the text after the signature ( Taigado Shujin ) reads Kasumi no naka no miyabi , ‘Refinement hidden inside mist!’

• Binding: Hardcover

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