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Kachō-ga

Kachō-ga (also known as kachō-e) literally means pictures of birds and flowers. The popularity of these types of paintings rose in the Muromachi period (1336 – 1573). Originally imported from China, hanging scrolls featuring kachō-ga were hung in tokonoma (alcoves for the display of religious and art objects in Japanese homes).

Bamboo

A Shikunshi Subject

Bamboo is one of the shikunshi (four gentlemen) subjects, comprised of orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum. These are traditionally among the first subjects learned by beginning sumi-e artists because among them, all of the basic strokes are used. It is also said they are among the last mastered because of the great potential they have for subtle and sophisticated expression. The seasonal associations for the shikunshi subjects are spring (orchid), summer (bamboo), fall (chrysanthemum), and winter (orchid). That isn't a hard and fast rule. For example, some of the bamboo paintings shown later are winter scenes.

About Bamboo

Bamboo is a type of evergreen perennial flowering grass and is among the fastest growing plants in the world. Some species of bamboo can grow as fast as an inch every 40 minutes. The intermodal parts of the stems (the parts between the joints) are usually hollow. Most bamboo are native to warm and moist tropical and warm temperate climates.

The picture below was taken in the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto.

Generally speaking, bamboos fall into two categories based on the type of root system they have; clumping or running.

These photos of real plants help to clarify the types.

Many bamboos with running root systems can take over gardens and may be harmful to nearby buildings. Those with clumping root systems tend to form densely packed clusters that stay in one area.

While there is no rule that says that bamboo leaves must be included in paintings of bamboo, they are usually featured. The leaves in this photo are from the black bamboo. Not all bamboo leaves are identical in appearance, but their shapes tend to be similar to these.

Birds

The companions to bamboo in this week's demonstration painting of kachō-ga are birds. Though the syllabus only says birds, I had small birds like sparrows in mind. There are lots of small birds, however, and you can paint any kind of birds you choose, large or small or in between. Check out the birds are in the classical artwork shown after this section.

For reference purposes, here are some pictures of a few small birds. The males are on the left and the females are on the right.

Artwork

Bamboo and bird was an oft seen combination in kachō-ga. Certain types of birds were used frequently, too. In the examples below, two paintings have cranes, two have Mandarin ducks, and three have sparrows. In spite of such similarities, they are all unique paintings.

Ogata Kōrin (1658 – 1716)

One of the founders of the Rinpa school of art, Kōrin's artwork was highly decorative. The byōbu below, one of a pair, is more appropriately a landscape than a kachō-ga, but it could be both. Done in the early 18th century, it is one of a pair whose combined title is Cranes, Pines and Bamboo. I originally showed this in the Fall 2020 semester. The pines are in the 4-panel companion piece. All three principal elements; cranes, pines, and bamboo; are symbols of longevity.

Kanō Chikanobu (1660 – 1728)

Little information is available about this Edo period artist from the Kanō school, though some of his surviving paintings are noteworthy. This kakejiku (hanging scroll) is titled Crane, Tortoise, Pine and Bamboo under a Rising Sun. Again, cranes and bamboo are symbols of longevity

Sakai Hōitsu (1761 - 1829)

Hōitsu was a Rinpa school artist, who greatly admired Kōrin's work. He is largely credited for having revived the earlier artist's popularity. Many of his works were reproductions of the paintings of earlier Rinpa school artists like Kōrin and others, but he did original work, too, such this 1700 Mandarin Ducks and Bamboo print.

Keisai Eisen (1790 - 1848)

Keisai was known mostly for his ukiyo-e of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful people), especially of women, depicting them as more worldly than Utamaro's representations. His 1820 print below is titled Sparrows, Bamboo and Falling Snow.

Kawabata Gyokushō (1842 – 1913)

Gyokushō is said to be the last master of the Maruyama-Shijō school of art which focused on Western influenced realism with traditional Japanese painting techniques. His Small Birds and Bamboo was painted on silk sometime in the 1887 to 1892 timeframe.

Ohara Koson (1877 – 1945)

Ohara was a noted shin-hanga (new prints) artist whose objective was the restoration of traditional subjects and techniques to Japanese art. He specialized in kachō-ga. Two Sparrows between Bamboo, Bird and Flower was produced in the 1910s.