This masterful rendition of an idilic landscape done in the Nanga style of Chinese painting is spread across three canvases titled 1) “Arashiyama” (A district nestled at the foot of Kyoto’s eastern mountain range), 2) “Kyomizu-dera” (One of Kyoto’s most iconic temples located in the western foothills), and 3) “Tatsuta” (An area west of Kyoto on the edge of Lake Biwa, known for its expansive fields of lotus flowers). These three actual places are used as the inspiration for this fanciful interpretation that is expressed through a classical Chinese painting style.

Sumi on paper. This impressive Zen painting by Gentō Sokuchū features the Chinese character michi (path) in masterfully rendered calligraphic strokes. As the 11th abbot of Entsū-ji and later the 50th abbot of Eihei-ji, Sokuchū made it his life’s work to bring the Sōtō sect of Buddhism back in line with the teachings of its founder Dōgen Zenji. [Sold]

A fine example of Edo period Kano painting, this generously proportioned hanging scroll illustrates a late autumn scene from the Japanese countryside over 300 years ago. The poem on the scroll reads:

Solitary, with the color, of nothingness
          A close to autumn, on a ring of mountaintops

Sumi and color on paper. This piece by well-known Taisho period artist Tomita Keisen depicts foresters riding log rafts down the Uji-gawa. Keisen was trained in classical painting and was well-versed in the Kano and Shijo school traditions. Despite his classical roots, he strove to develop his own unique style of painting. [Sold]