Shiba Kokan

SHIBA KOKAN (Japan, 1747-1818)
Miniature reproduction of a Nanban screen. Japan, Edo period, late 18th century.
Pigments on paper, framed in shitan wood (rosewood).
With stamp on the back.
It is in a good general state of preservation; it has tears on the lining of the back.
Measurements: 19,5 x 45 cm (miniature); 47 x 66 cm (frame).

Exceptional reproduction in reduced format of a Nanban screen from the beginning of the Edo period, made by Shiba Kokan, one of the most singular and cosmopolitan figures of the Japanese art of the 18th century.

The composition recreates with remarkable fidelity and refinement the famous Nanban ("southern barbarian") screens, which depicted the arrival of Portuguese traders and missionaries in Japan during the 16th and early 17th centuries. A lively port landscape unfolds in the scene: richly detailed Western vessels, figures dressed in European garb, and groups of Japanese welcoming foreigners in a courtly architectural setting. The use of gold backgrounds directly evokes the Momoyama tradition and the great workshops that produced these screens for the military and merchant elite.

Shiba Kokan, known for his interest in Western perspective, science and European-influenced painting, demonstrates here his deep knowledge of both the Japanese painting tradition and Western art. The miniaturization of the format probably responds to a commemorative or devotional purpose, and tradition indicates that it was made for exhibition in the temple of Raigo, later becoming part of imperial collections.

The work is presented in a refined frame of carved shitan wood, whose quality enhances the precious and unique character of the piece. The set combines technical virtuosity, historical interest and cultural relevance, reinterpreting one of the most emblematic genres of Japanese art in contact with the West.

Works signed or attributed to Shiba K?kan are highly prized for their rarity and for their role in the introduction of Western concepts into Japanese art of the Edo period.

Of extraordinary interest to collectors of Japanese painting, Nanban art and works linked to the artistic dialogue between Japan and Europe.