Kanō Tōshun Yoshinobu (1747–1797), Takasago Pines with Rising Sun, Rake, and Broom, A Triptych of Hanging Scrolls with Box

This is an exceptional triptych of Japanese hanging scrolls by Kanō Tōshun Yoshinobu, painted in ink and color on silk. The central scroll depicts an ancient pine beneath a large red sun, while the two flanking scrolls show young pines accompanied respectively by a rake and a broom. Together, these implements evoke the elderly couple Jō and Uba from the celebrated Noh play Takasago.

The rake and broom are not simply tools used for tending a garden. They are the traditional attributes of Jō and Uba, the spirits of the ancient pine trees at Takasago and Sumiyoshi. In the Noh drama, a traveler encounters an old man and woman raking and sweeping beneath the Takasago pine. They are subsequently revealed as the divine spirits of two distant pines whose perfect harmony symbolizes fidelity and enduring union. Jō traditionally carries a rake, while Uba carries a broom. 

In the present triptych, Tōshun adopts a remarkably inventive approach by omitting Jō and Uba altogether. Their presence is conveyed solely through the rake and broom, transforming familiar everyday implements into poetic symbols. The absence of the figures allows the pines themselves to become the true protagonists, while suggesting that the sacred couple remains invisibly present within the landscape.

The central scroll is dominated by a large vermilion sun suspended above a mature pine. The massive, weathered trunk rises through layered clusters of blue-green needles, symbolizing strength, longevity, and constancy. The sun transforms the scene into an auspicious image of renewal and enduring vitality. Its simple circular form contrasts with the complex branching structure below, creating a powerful balance between celestial perfection and organic growth.

The flanking scrolls show younger pines rendered with greater delicacy. Their slender trunks and rhythmic needles correspond across the triptych, while the rake and broom direct the viewer’s attention inward toward the central pine and rising sun. When displayed together, the three scrolls form a continuous symbolic landscape uniting youth and age, daily labor and spiritual devotion, and earthly endurance beneath the eternal cycle of the sun.

The rake and broom also carry poetic meanings beyond their narrative role. Through the daily acts of raking and sweeping, Jō and Uba maintain the sacred ground beneath the pines. These humble implements therefore suggest purification, care, discipline, and the patient cultivation of harmony. The Takasago subject became especially favored in wedding imagery, where the elderly couple and paired pines symbolized a harmonious marriage lasting into old age.

Tōshun’s restrained palette and disciplined brushwork reflect the refined decorative language of the Edo-period Kanō school. The pine trunks are modeled with layered ink washes and textured strokes, while the needles are organized into repeated linear patterns enlivened by mineral green. The radiant red sun provides the composition’s strongest chromatic accent. Broad areas of unpainted or lightly toned silk surround the motifs, giving the triptych clarity, spaciousness, and ceremonial dignity.

The work is particularly distinguished by its combination of narrative intelligence and visual economy. Rather than illustrating the Noh play literally, Tōshun reduces it to its essential signs: the pines, the sun, the rake, and the broom. From these few elements, he constructs an image rich in associations with longevity, marital fidelity, spiritual purification, and renewal. The result is an outstanding example of the Kanō school’s ability to unite literary tradition, auspicious symbolism, and sophisticated decorative design.

Each scroll is signed “Tōshun hitsu” (洞春筆) and sealed. Accompanied by a wooden storage box.

{Approximate dimensions of each: Image size: 34 3/4 x 11 5/8 inches}. {Scroll size: 62 1/4 x 15 3/8 inches}.

This work will be featured in the special exhibition Time Well Wasted: Five Hundred Years of Japanese Ink Painting, held at Michaan’s Auctions from August 16 to 21, 2026, and will be published in the accompanying book of the same title by Jingwei Zeng.

Notes: Include wooden scroll box.

The accompanying wooden storage box is broken. The scrolls exhibit creasing, scattered staining, and age-related wear.