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Anonymous — The Battle of Gojo Bridge | Momoyama - Edo period, 17th century
Anonymous

The Battle of Gojo Bridge | Momoyama - Edo period, 17th century

This six-panel folding screen depicts a dramatic scene from Japanese legend in which the warrior Minamoto no Raikō and his retainers confront a supernatural demon at Gojo Bridge in Kyoto. The artist employs rich mineral pigments and gold leaf against ink on paper to create a dynamic composition that captures the violence and chaos of the encounter, while the silk brocade borders and lacquered mounts elevate the work as a prestigious object of the warrior class. The painting exemplifies the pictorial conventions and decorative grandeur characteristic of Momoyama and early Edo period screen painting, when such works served both as functional room dividers and displays of cultural refinement in elite households.

Medium
a six-panel folding screen: ink, colour and gold on paper, silk brocade borders, black lacquer mounts, copper-gilt fittings

🔨 Auction Lot

Art of Japan

October 29, 2024

Estimate: $150,000$180,000

Lot 37

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About this work

Anonymous, The Battle of Gojo Bridge | Momoyama - Edo period, 17th century

This six-panel folding screen depicts a dramatic scene from Japanese legend in which the warrior Minamoto no Raikō and his retainers confront a supernatural demon at Gojo Bridge in Kyoto. The artist employs rich mineral pigments and gold leaf against ink on paper to create a dynamic composition that captures the violence and chaos of the encounter, while the silk brocade borders and lacquered mounts elevate the work as a prestigious object of the warrior class. The painting exemplifies the pictorial conventions and decorative grandeur characteristic of Momoyama and early Edo period screen painting, when such works served both as functional room dividers and displays of cultural refinement in elite households.

Medium
a six-panel folding screen: ink, colour and gold on paper, silk brocade borders, black lacquer mounts, copper-gilt fittings
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Dynamic Composition, Decorative Painting, Momoyama-Edo period, Ukiyo-e, Japanese Artist, Historical Narrative, Ink and Color on Paper, Martial conflict, Dramatic action, 17th Century

More works by Anonymous

Collected by

Cleveland Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago