Aluminum flake pigment and lacquer on paper

38×42 cm. 15×16 1/2 in.

LITERATURE
2019, Morita Shiryū: Catalogue Raisonné 1952—1998, Uji: Soryūsha, Kyoto, plate No. XVI—760
2021, Wanobi, Shibunkaku Co., Ltd, Kyoto and Tokyo, p. 36—37, and 122
EXHIBITED
10 - 23 Jan 2021, Morita Shiryū: Bokujin, Shibunkaku, Kyoto
29 Jan - 13 Feb 2021, Morita Shiryū: Bokujin, Shibunkaku, Tokyo

PROVENANCE
Original Collection of Shibunkaku, Japan
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Note: A label signed and stamped by calligrapher Inada Sōsai and Soryūsha stating the work description is affixed on the reverse. Inada Sōsai is the disciple of Morita Shiryū and the editor of Morita's catalogue raisonné

Howling at the Sky, Ambitious Spirit and Lofty Sentiment
A Rare 1960s Lacquered Gold Calligraphy Work by Morita Shiryū

Born in 1912 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, Morita Shiryū founded the "Bokujin - kai" (People of the Ink) group in 1952 having launched the internationally renowned magazine Bokubi in 1951. In this way, the artist introduced Western art pioneers to Japan while selling the magazine overseas enhanced the international renown of Eastern calligraphy and made a significant and lasting contribution to art exchanges between East and West.

Moreover, Morita advocated for calligraphy as a primitive form of line-based art and attempted to blend Eastern and Western contexts as early as the late 1940s. He later set himself the goal of "breaking from traditional calligraphy and creating artistic calligraphy." In 1963, the artist developed his unique "lacquered gold" technique - writing calligraphy using a mixture of aluminum powder and glue on black paper. This method created calligraphic characters imbued with vibrant colours against a dark background, complemented by the rich and glossy polished effect of lacquer art, giving birth to an extremely personal and new style of art. The work Usobuku (Howl) being auctioned was completed by Morita Shiryū approximately in 1963 and is an exquisite example of his distinctive "lacquered gold" calligraphy.

Resplendent Trio of Ink, Colour and Lacquer

Unlike Morita's other "lacquered gold" works, which mainly paint Chinese characters in a yellow hue, Usobuku employs a copper-red colour that approximates to that of ancient lacquerware, contrasted against black paper. This design makes the red character appear as if emerging from the within the black, crafting an Eastern aesthetic that highlights "ink on top, vermilion underneath." A review of the art created by Morita Shiryū throughout his life emphasizes the extreme rareness of this "red lacquered gold" style, as similar works have appeared only eight times at public auctions over the past 40 years, of which Usobuku is one. Completed after the artist returned from a major exhibition in New York in 1963, the piece exudes self-confidence, with thicker brushstrokes and an extremely powerful three-dimensional feel. Moreover, the variations in depth and fluidity of the brushwork, careful use of lacquer and thoughtful utilization of colour are intimately related.

Soaring Dragons and Leaping Tigers - A Triple-layered Resonance of Sound, Form and Colour

The original meaning of the Chinese character 嘯 (Xiao, howl) refers to making a sound by pursing the lips and is often used to describe a high pitched, drawn out sound. It is also found in Tang poetry, such as in Yue Fei's Whole River Red (Man Jiang Hong), "I look up towards the sky and let loose a passionate roar." Morita similarly incorporates auditory synesthesia into his work, calling forth the inherent rhythmic life of the Chinese character itself. As such, the artist deconstructs the character, his winding brushstrokes bringing it to life in a way that resembles a soaring dragon and leaping tiger, free flowing and chasing a pearl on the left, breaking traditional calligraphic rules while imbuing the abstract form with new vitality. In the stillness of the night, the vermilion character breaks through the darkness, radiating brilliance. The ingenious interplay of ink, colour and lacquer, leads to the triple-layered resonance of sound, form and colour. At the same time, the sensation of power encapsulated by the phrase "the tiger roars and the wind of the valley comes" represents a return to the unique charm of Eastern poetry.

Price estimate:
HKD 90,000 - 150,000
USD 11,500 - 19,200