Two birds and a bamboo grove painted on a gold paper sliding door. "Chikkei-Zu (Drawing of Bamboo and Bird)" said to be Okyo's work, is owned by and on view to the public at Rendaiji Temple located on Yuga Mountain, Kurashiki-City. Okyo Maruyama is the founder of the Maruyama School, an influential artistic movement whose style, with an emphasis on sketches, not only gained immense popularity in 18 th century Kyoto, but also influenced future generations to the present day. Among his masterpieces is a work designated as a national treasure ("Pine Trees in Snow", owned by the Mitsui Memorial Museum). Describing Okyo's great achievements raises the question of why a work by such a great artist is owned by a temple in Kurashiki? Adding to this mystery is the fact that the work is said to be Okyo's last.
First, we must discuss whether "Chikkei-Zu" truly is Okyo's work. The work is missing Okyo's signature and seal, usual methods by which such works are identified. Yet despite this disadvantage, there are other factors that suggest the work is Okyo's. Calligraphy on the piece can be identified as that of Kien Minagawa, a well known Confucian who lived in Kyoto at the same time as Okyo.
Take a look at the picture above. On the upper left corner of the sliding door, there are characters beginning with "Summer, Kansei 7-----." These are by Kien. Kien was Okyo's close friend and disciple, learning painting techniques from him, and acting as messenger from the temple to order "Chikkei-Zu" for a sliding door at the Yuga Mountain Shinpusho (A structure in a shrine where paper amulets can be purchased. Rendaiji Temple and Yuga Shrine stand next to each other, an example of religious syncretism often seen in pre-Meiji Japan.). The calligraphy on the picture indicates such a history, and Kien's seal is also affixed.
If we consult "Heian Jinbutsu Shi", a "who's who" of Kyoto in the Edo period (second edition published in 1775), Okyo is first on the list of painters, preceding such illustrious figures as Jakuchu Ito and Taiga Ikeno. Ordering a painting from such a popular painter must have cost a considerable sum of money. Yet it is clear that back then Yuga Shrine had the finances to afford it. Yuga-san was nationally known as a popular pilgrimage site in conjunction with Konpira-san on Shikoku. It was said that to attain grace one had to visit both Konpira Shrine and Yuga Shrine, and this belief attracted many visitors to Yuga shrine. The make-up and possessions of the temple illustrate its prosperity at the time.
As well as confusion over whether the work is Okyo's, there is also mystery surrounding whether it is his last work, as another work also lays claim to this title. "Hozugawa-Zu Byobu (Drawing of Hozugawa River folding screen)" is the work in question. Okyo passed away in July, 1795. "Hozugawa-Zu Byobu" was finished in June of the same year. Meanwhile, "Chikkei-Zu," according to Kien, was ordered on May 19. Okyo passed away before putting his seal to this work; therefore the seal was put on by Ozui, his son (Ozui's seal cannot be identified due to the poor conditions of the picture.) If the picture was truly ordered on May 19, how long would it have taken for the picture to be completed? We asked Professor Johei Sasaki, Director of the Kyoto National Museum and a leading expert in Okyo studies: "At the time, Okyo painted with help from his son Ozui, and his pupils. His health was in such poor condition. This "Chikkei-Zu," however, is an elaborate piece of work drawn after a preliminary sketch was made, coloured, and then finished with gold leaf. Even if Okyo did have the help of his pupils, it can be assumed that it took a considerable amount of time."
If it took until June to finish, there is a possibility that it was finished after "Hozugawa-Zu Byobu." Does the missing seal not suggest that it was finished later? "Hozugawa-Zu" has Okyo's seal. Yet Professor Sasaki suggests "the time of completion cannot be judged by the missing seal. There is a possibility that the work was done earlier and the seal happened to be forgotten." He also points out that "there are other works from Okyo's later years that are also missing his seal."
The "Chikukei-Zu" or the "Hozugawa-Zu Byobu," which is Okyo's last work? "That is impossible to determine," concluded Professor Sasaki. Okyo is said to have lost most of his vision due to illness in his late years. Which of the two pictures he drew last with that poor vision remains a mystery...