Horse in the Stable – umaya, Edo period (1615-1868), 17th century. Photo courtesy Helena Markus Antique Japanese Screens.

Kakemono (hanging scroll). Mineral and organic colours on gold leaf. Mounted on silk. H 132 x W 72.5 cm (including the silk mounting); H 41.5 x W 54 cm (without the silk mounting)

In the late 16th, early 17th century screens representing these noble beasts in the stalls of their stables (umaya) grew in vogue.

Painted images of horses, called ema (horse picture), had been excavated from eighth century tombs. It has been suggested that stable images of horses owe their development to these early practices. This is an attractive hypothesis, as several stable screens have been discovered in Shintō shrine collections.

The paintings of the horses are usually without signatures, although there is a strong stylistic evidence of Yamato-e and Tosa influences.

Many emaki (illustrated handscrolls) of Kamakura (1185-1333) and later periods depict stables of wealthy households.

Most screen paintings of umaya bear witness to heavy usage much like the bird and flower screens of the four seasons; they were very popular and as a result were often displayed and not infrequently damaged and repaired. In many instances the panels linked neatly together; in others the horses are painted one to a panel, and the panels in turn have been trimmed prior to being mounted onto the folds of the screen. There is a possibility that a painting would have been the result of a salvage project in which panels from a screen, were rescued, and, either joined to the original screen or separated altogether and given a new life. Often, whenever some of the panels of the screen were too damaged, the panels were mounted on silk as individual paintings as in this vigorous and handsome work of art.

The condition of the stables, well attended and spotless, corroborates the comment made by late-sixteenth-century foreign visitor, to the effect that “Japanese stables are beautiful enough to socialise in”.

The horse is carefully groomed with stout ropes around its belly to help support its heavy weight.

Provenance: Japan.

Helena Markus Antique Japanese Screens. MasterArt at TEFAF 2014. 14-23 march 2014 - http://www.masterart.com/