Calligraphies

PU WEI (PRINCE GONG, 1880-1936) / WU ZUOZHANG (17TH-18TH CENTURY) / ANONYMOUS
Calligraphies
A set of three hanging scrolls, ink on paper
1. PU WEI (PRINCE GONG)
31.5 x 26.5 cm. (12 .3⁄8 x 10 .3⁄8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated yimao year (1915)
Dedicated to Tokutomi Sohō
One collector’s seals of Tokutomi Sohō on the back mounting

2. WU ZUOZHANG
182 x 95 cm. (71 .5⁄8 x 37 .3⁄8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist
One collector’s seal of Tokutomi Sohō at the back mounting

3. ANONYMOUS
104.3 x 24 cm. (41 ¹⁄₈ x 9 ¹⁄₂ in.)
With one seal of the artist
The back mounting inscribed by Tokutomi Sohō (1863-1957), with one seal

Mr Tokutomi Sohō (1863 - 1957) was a famous journalist, who was very active between the Meiji and Showa periods. At the age of 28, he founded "Kokumin (People's) Newspaper" and worked as a chief editor and managing director for many years. As a historian he was extremely famous known especially for his The Modern Japanese History volume 1-100.

Mr Tokutomi deeply appreciated Chinese culture, as he was acquainted with Tang dynasty Poem Selection, and he was highly respected by policy-makers, business leaders and Chinese poem specialist Shinpei Goto (1857-1929).

He was able to form a major collection of important Chinese paintings with a help from his great circle of friends, such as the Chinese seal maker Senro Kawai (1871-1945), historian Konan Naito (1866-1934) and graduates from University of Toa Doubunshoin.