Chawan, Kawamura Bumpo

Kawamura Bumpō 河村文鳳 (1779-1821)

Signed: Bumpō; with one seal of the artist.

Circa 1800.

27.7 x 34 cm. (With mount: 108.5 x 42.2 cm.)

With a fitted wood box.

A hanging scroll with an ink painting of a chawan, a teabowl, alongside a slender bamboo spoon in a delicate inkwash. The momigami mount was made by Karacho-san, a living national treasure, out of kneaded mulberry paper strengthened with persimmon juice.

Living in Kyoto, Bumpō was a pupil of Kishi Ganku (1749-1838) and a clear follower of his rather independent style, being greatly influenced by Chinese schools of painting. He was also a haiku poet, producing many haiga, but also created several illustration books, including Bumpō gafu and Bumpō sansui gafu, for which he is most well known. Bumpō was a sociable and lively character in Kyoto, extremely popular among his contemporaries, mostly artists, musicians and writers. He commonly uses confident, bold lines with mostly pale ink, and only faint highlights of colour.