CHAPTER SEVEN. SIGNATURES AND SEALS
There are many books upon the subject of signing and authenticating a painting. Two well-known works are “Gwa Jo Yo Ryaku” and “Dai Ga Shi San.” In China literary men often add descriptive matter to their paintings, writing prominently thereon: “In a dream last night I witnessed the scene I here attempt to reproduce,” or “On a boating excursion we saw this pine tree shading the banks of the river.” Such additions to the picture enable the artist to exhibit his skill as an expert writer and are considered to heighten the general effect. Often original poetry takes the place of prose. The year, month and day will be added, followed by the signature of the writer, with some self-depreciatory term, such as “fisherman of the North Sea,” “mountain wood-chopper” or “hermit dwelling amid the clouds and rocks.” Such signature, with one or more seals scattered over the face of the work, is in art called rakkwan, signifying “completed.”
In Japan a somewhat different way of signing prevails. The artist's signature with his seal under it is appended to the painting, not in a conspicuous but in the least prominent part of it.
Painters of the Tosa, Fujiwara, Sumiyoshi and Kasuga schools in signing their work first wrote above their signatures their office and rank, e. g., Unemi no Kami or Shikibu Gondai no Kami in the square or round Chinese characters.
The Kano artists signed their names in round characters (gyo sho) and did not add their secular rank or office but wrote before their signatures their Buddhist titles; thus, Hogan Motonobu, Ho Kyo Naganobu, Hoin Tsunenobu. In the Maruyama period all titles and rank were omitted and simply the name (namae) or the nom de plume (go) was written,—thus, Okyo, Goshun, Tessan, Bun Cho—strict attention being paid, however, to executing the Chinese characters for such signatures in both an artistic and strikingly attractive way, whether written in one or another of the three usual forms technically called shin, so, gyo.
The date, nen go, preceding the signature upon a painting is often indicated by the use of one of the twelve horary characters (ju ni shi) along with one of the ten calendar signs (ju ran). These, in orderly arrangement, comprehend a cycle of sixty years; in other words, they are never united the same way or coincide but once during that period. No artist under sixty should, in signing his work, allude to his age, much less state his years. For him to be able to write seventy-seven before his name is [pg 102] most auspicious—one way of writing kotobuki, the luckiest word in Japanese, being to employ two sevens which, thus compounded, is said to be the so sho character for that word. Very young persons are permitted in signing their paintings or writings to add their exact ages up to thirteen.
Where Chinese literary artists add poems to their paintings as many as eight seals may be observed thereon. In Japanese paintings never more than two seals are used and these follow and authenticate the signature.
The correct distance at which a kakemono is to be viewed is the width of a mat (tatami) from the alcove where the picture is hung. It is bad form to look at it standing. Before critically examining the work a Japanese will scrutinize the artist's signature and seal. It is a cardinal rule in Japan that the signature be affixed so as not to interfere with the scheme of the picture or attract the eye. If the picture looks to the right the signature and seal should be placed on the left, and vice versa; if the principal interest is in the upper part of a picture these should be placed lower down, and vice versa. As every painting has its division into in and yo the rakkwan is placed in in. Some artists partially cover their signatures with their seal impression. Lady artists add to their signatures the character jo, meaning woman. Veteran painters will sometimes write before their signatures the character for old man (okina).
The artist's seal is often a work of art and his family name (myoji) or his artist name (go) is usually [pg 103] engraved thereon with the Chinese seal characters called ten sho. Where two seals are affixed below the signature one may contain a classic aphorism, like tai bi fu gen (the truly beautiful is indescribable) or chu yo (keep the middle path). Before seals were used writings were authenticated by scrolls called kaki han. Even now such scrolls are used. The principles on which they are shaped are derived from astrological lore (eki). Seal engravers deservedly enjoy renown for learning and skill. To carve a seal is the recognized accomplishment of a gentleman, and the most famous living seal engraver in Japan is an amateur. Seals are of jade, rock crystal, precious woods, Formosa bamboo root, gold, silver or ivory. The best hard stone for seals comes from China and is known as the cock's comb (kei ketsu seki).
An artist during his career will collect numbers of valuable seals for his own use. These at his death may be given to favorite pupils or kept as house treasures. Bairei left instructions to have many of his seals destroyed.
The seal paste (niku) is made of Diana weed (mogusa) dried for three years, or of a plant called yomogi, or with soft, finely chopped rabbit hair boiled in castor oil for one hundred hours with white wax and then colored red, brown, blue or tea color. The seal should be carefully wiped after it is used, otherwise this paste hardens upon it.
Japanese paintings are seldom framed, as frames take too much room. Frames are used chiefly for Chinese writings, hung high in public places or [pg 106] about the dwelling, and are called gaku, meaning “forehead,” in allusion to raising the head to read what the frame contains. It is etiquette that such framed writings be signed with the real name rather than the nom de plume.
Two kinds of seals are affixed to the frame: One, on the right, at the beginning of the writing, and called yu in, containing some precept or maxim; and one or two, on the left, after the signature, bearing the artist's name and any other appropriate designation. All writings in Chinese or Japanese read from right to left, and frequently are the sole ornament of a pair of screens.
For the guidance of experts who pass on the genuineness of Japanese paintings there is a well-known publication, “Gwa Ka Rakkwan In Shin,” by Kano Jushin, which contains reproductions in fac simile of the signatures and seals of all the celebrated artists of the remote and recent past.
In concluding this work, which I am conscious is but an imperfect survey of a vast and intricate subject, I would call attention to the fact that in both Europe and America there is a wonderful awakening to the dignity, simplicity and beauty of Japanese art. This is largely to be attributed to the careful and scholarly writings and publications of Messrs. Anderson, Binyon, Morrison and Strange in England, Fenollosa in the United states, DeGoncourt, Gonse and Bing in France, Seidlitz in Germany, and Brinkley and Okakura in Japan; and all students of art must render to them the homage of their sincere admiration.
The object of all art, as Cicero has truly said, is to soften the manners, by training the heart and mind to right thoughts and worthy sentiments. To such end nothing will more surely contribute than a faithful study of the painting art of Japan, and the further we investigate and appreciate its principles the more we will multiply those hours which the sun-dial registers,—the serene and cheerful moments of existence.