257 - MIO GOSEKI: A FINE AND LARGE SIX-PANEL ‘TIGER AND CUB’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN)

MIO GOSEKI: A FINE AND LARGE SIX-PANEL ‘TIGER AND CUB’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN) By Mio Goseki (1885-1946), signed Goseki saku with seal Goseki Japan, first half of the 20 th century, Taisho (1912-1926) or early Showa period (1926-1989) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on six roiro-lacquered wood panels with finely chased gilt-metal fittings decorated with scrolling vines. Finely painted, depicting an adult tiger and cub reclining upon a rocky ledge amid sparse grasses, their bodies rendered with finely delineated stripes and soft modeling. Behind them, twin waterfalls descend between steep, verdant cliffs, while distant mountains recede into mist against the luminous gold ground. Inscriptions: To the lower right, signed Goseki saku 呉石作 with seal Goseki 呉石. SIZE 171.5 x 366 cm Condition: Very good condition with typical old wear. Scattered spots of rubbing to the painting, minor soiling, and little flaking. A stabilized tear to the bottom-right edge of the right panel. The reverse with spots of rubbing, discoloration, tears and few small holes. Some wear and losses to the joints. Mio Goseki (1885-1946) was born in Tokyo and became widely known as Tora no Goseki [Goseki of the Tigers]. He studied Shijo-style painting under the celebrated animal painter Ohashi Suiseki (1865-1945) and spent several years traveling in China and Korea to study the physiognomy of tigers. Following his return to Japan, he concentrated increasingly on tiger paintings, exhibited twice at the Bunten, and received third prize at the Tokyo Industrial Exhibition for a tiger painting. His close observation of the animal underpinned the naturalistic treatment of fur, musculature, and expression for which his works became renowned. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related six-panel 'Tigers' screen by Ohashi Suiseki (1865-1945), ink and color on silk, 153 x 367 cm, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 22 September 2004, New York, lot 184 (sold for USD 9,560 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).