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LOTS 3100-3109 RARE AND IMPORTANT PAINTINGS FROM THE DAISUKE NOHARA COLLECTION This collection of Qi Baishi and Wang Zhen paintings belonged to Daisuke Nohara (1882-1954) and many paintings are dedicated to him. Daisuke Nohara was born in Lida, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from Kyoto Imperial University, he joined the Yokohama Specie Bank. He was posted by the Bank to Bombay, London and various cities in China from the 1910s to the 1930s. Nohara's assignment to China began around 1921 and ended in 1927, during that time he and his family lived in Tianjin, Beijing, Qingdao, Harbin and Shanghai. During his time in China, Nohara was the branch manager in Shanghai and the family lived on Sichuan Road near a park. Even in very old age, Mrs. Nohara had a clear memory of their residence in Shanghai and could remember the Chinese words that she learned. Nohara probably met Qi Baishi in Beijing during their stay in China and hence commissioned the artist to paint these works. Nohara eventually moved to London in 1927 and became the branch manager there until 1934. The family returned to their native Japan in 1934 where Nohara served the Bank until the end of the war. The seven Qi Baishi paintings in this collection, mostly painted in ink on paper, are unique in their subject and composition and are rarely seen. They reflect Qi's artistic genius and manifest his respect and friendship for Daisuke Nohara.

QI BAISHI (1863-1957)

Waterfall in Dinghu

Details

QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Waterfall in Dinghu
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dated autumn, eighth month, yichou year (1925)
Dedicated to Yeyuan (Daisuke Nohara)
Titleslip inscribed by the artist, with one seal
Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
178.2 x 46.6 cm. (70 1/4 x 18 3/8 in.)
20th Century

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Yanie Choi

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Lot Essay

Qi Baishi created this painting in 1925 for Daisuke Nohara. Invited by his friend Guo Baosheng in 1906, Qi visited Mount Dinghu in Zhaoxing, Southern China. He was deeply moved by the grandeur of the waterfall there, which was like a screen of silver shimmering in the sunlight. The scenery was so impressive that he immersed himself in sketching. Qi even wrote a poem to commemorate this enjoyable and inspiring trip.

Waterfall in Dinghu was most probably created by Qi based on one of the sketches he made back in 1906. Compare it with an extremely similar Qi Baishi's painting of waterfall, now in the collection of the Hunan Museum. Not only was it created identically in the eighth month of yichou year (1925), its size, composition, brushwork and treatment of ink and colour are all very similar, thus making Waterfall in Dinghuan a precious piece of early art by Qi Baishi.

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