Osawa Hisashi, vintage Japanese ink painting on shikishi, Showa 1978 - wild chrysanthemums and haiku

Original Japanese work on shikishi by Osawa Hisashi, dated on the reverse to an auspicious day in September 1978.

The composition combines wild chrysanthemums with a haiku identified on the work as a verse by the poet Sugita Hisajo.

Meaning of the haiku:

“Today, for some reason,
I am captivated
by a simple wild chrysanthemum.”

On the reverse, the artist recorded the subject as wild chrysanthemums and described the work as kuga, a form that unites poetry, calligraphy, and image within a single composition.

The work is executed in black and grey ink with the addition of pink pigment. It is signed on the front and marked with two red seals.

Osawa Hisashi was born in 1928 in Gifu Prefecture. He initially studied calligraphy and received a new artist award at the Bokujin exhibition in 1954. His work was included in exhibitions of contemporary Japanese calligraphy and art in Japan, New York, Paris, and Brussels.

His artistic practice developed within the context of postwar avant garde calligraphy before expanding into painting while retaining a close relationship between writing and image. During the 1970s, he held exhibitions devoted to kuga, the meeting of words and images, and drawing as a form of abstract poetry.

The set includes a standard patterned protective cover for shikishi with a handwritten title strip bearing the artist’s name and seal, together with a printed biographical card current as of May 1978.

Condition

Vintage condition. The shikishi and protective cover may show natural signs of age, including light toning and minor surface marks, so please review the photos carefully.

Size

Size of shikishi (approx.): 24 × 27 cm.

Shipping

Safe and tracked shipping from Latvia. Protective packaging.

For US buyers

US customs processing is prepaid through the shipping service, so no additional customs processing payment is required upon delivery.