Dispositions of the Gentleman
- Period
- Taishō period, 1912–1926
- Date
- 1916
- Material
- Ink and color on betel palm leaves
- made in
- Kyoto, Kyoto urban prefecture, Japan, Asia
- Classification
- Costume & clothing, paintings
- Collection
- Asian Art
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- fan: 15 3/8 × 10 5/8 × 1/2 in. (39.1 × 27 × 1.3 cm)
wooden storage box: 1 13/16 × 11 7/16 × 16 7/16 in. (4.6 × 29.1 × 41.8 cm) - Credit Line
- Friends Endowment Fund
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 85:1992
NOTES
Made from a betel palm leaf, this fan is painted on both sides. On one side are blossoming orchids looming over a rock, while on the other side more orchids emerge from the tip of the fan. The artist’s inscription includes four large characters which refer to orchids as symbols of a perfect gentleman’s dispositions: integrity, nobility, humility, and self-restraint.
This object, created for everyday use, was elevated to fine art through the addition of painting by one of Japan’s greatest literati artists of the modern era. Tomioka Tessai brought new vitality into an old tradition through creative manipulations of traditional subjects, forceful brushwork, and expressive color. Tessai was a philosophical and ethical individual who, despite enormous fame, managed to live a quiet life, completely devoted to his studies.
This object, created for everyday use, was elevated to fine art through the addition of painting by one of Japan’s greatest literati artists of the modern era. Tomioka Tessai brought new vitality into an old tradition through creative manipulations of traditional subjects, forceful brushwork, and expressive color. Tessai was a philosophical and ethical individual who, despite enormous fame, managed to live a quiet life, completely devoted to his studies.
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