Kanō Yasunobu
Early Edo period (17th century)
Donated by the Homma family
Also known by his artist names Eishin and Bokushinsai, Kanō Yasunobu (1614–85) was a painter of the Kanō school, the youngest brother of Kanō Tan’yu and part of the eighth generation of the head family of Kanō. Known for his contributions to Kanō school painting theory, he was a goyō eshi, an official painter for the Tokugawa shōgunate, and also went on to found the Nakabashi branch of the Kanō school.
The middle scroll depicts The Vinegar Tasters, a traditional allegorical subject in Chinese painting depicting the three teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, represented by Buddha, Confucius, and Laozi. They are tasting a vat of peach blossom vinegar, perceiving it as either bitter, sour, or sweet depending on the predominant attitude of their respective philosophies. The painting is typically seen to represent the unity of the three schools of thought.
The left and right scrolls depict a silver pheasant, native to southwest China, and a dove.
This hanging scroll was purchased in April 1845 (Tenpō 15) when Kōki was the fifth-generation head of the Homma family. It is thought to have been displayed when receiving visiting feudal lords at the Seienkaku residence.