Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

Hello all, Keen to know if anyone can recognise this artist? 2nd Character looks to be 松 Matsu or Sho. And does anyone know a good reference book for deciphering seal signatures? Thanks,

Signature and seal reads,
竹邨　-　Chikuson

Ishikawa Chikuson 石川竹邨　1884-1952
Born in Tokyo, Learned painting from Matsumot Fuko and Suzuki Kason. After the Great Kanto Earthquake moved to Nagoya. Specialized in flower and bird painting.

As of your question, there are many Chinese and Japanese compiled seal script dictionaries on the market (in China and Japan), but these cannot be used without the knowledge of Chinese/Japanese characters. The successful reading is followed by the name and signature identification in artists` signature and seal dictionaries or recently online - however, language knowledge and practice in reading of calligraphical styles are also indispensable for this.

With regards,
I.Nagy

With thanks to I.Nagy. Appreciate the quick response. I do have knowledge of Japanese language and characters - Can you point me towards the book or online resource for them? With thanks.

Dear Trevoir,
The best Japanese seal script dictionary;
服部畊石編集　篆刻字林　三圭社 2000
The most commmon work available on the Chinese book market;
篆刻字典　黒龙江美术出版社　
Online seal script character search;
篆字部首検索システム　(テキスト検索叛)

Japanese painters` seal dictionary;
必携　落款字典　柏書房　2015
Corpus of Japanese Painter`s and Calligraphers`
Signatures and Seals;
日本書画落款印譜集成　柏書房　1981

The above dictionaries, except of the Chinese one
can be obtained via Amazon.

With regards,
I.Nagy

I'd like to point out to be careful with this seal books. They widely are based on older collections (wood block printed) as Kanou Sousen's　本朝画家落欵印譜 3 vol. including all the old mistakes and misprintings of the wood block prints.
So its very helpful to use them as in your case confirming the painter, but they are not a good enough reference to confirm the seal prints itself. This could be done only with good reference paintings.

Here is an example how they differ from the real paintings in an earlier post:
https://www.asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=145012

peter

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |