Tex, Japan, resist-dyed, modern craft, studio. Hanging scroll, cream silk with a figure of the priest Honen, Serizawa Keisuke, Tokyo, Kamata-cho, 1939

Hanging scroll of cream silk The scroll is by Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984), one of the Japanese Folkcraft Movement's foremost textile artists.
The Buddhist subject was perhaps inspired by the work of a printmaker working at the same time as Serizawa, Munakata Shiko (1903-1975). Munakata's set of ten very large prints in the form of hanging scrolls 'The Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha' use the simple contrast of black and white found in Serizawa's scroll. The blocks for Munakata's series were not cut until 1939. The figure is clasping a rosary and is standing on a lotus. There is a halo or mandorla outlined around his head and shoulders.
Although a departure from his more usual brightly-coloured style, this scroll reflects his interest in the revival of the resist-dyeing methods: A steries of stencils was probably used on this piece to produce the black, grey and cream figure.
There is a date (1939) inside the lid of the scroll's storage box.

Serizawa presented this scroll to Sir John Pilcher (1912-1990) when Pilcher was serving as British Ambassador to Japan (1967-1972). The scroll, and two other works given by Serizawa, were purchased from Pilcher by the V&A in 1985. The mounts are said by the vendor to have been selected by the potter Kawai Kanjiro.

See 'Serizawa', catalogue to exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris, 1976-77, p.105 for a similar Buddhist figure but in book illustration form.

Tokyo, Kamata-cho
Artist: Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984)

The scroll is by Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984), one of the Japanese Folkcraft Movement's foremost textile artists. It depicts Honen Shonin, the founder of the Japanese Buddhist sect of the Pure Land. The Buddhist subject was perhaps inspired by the work of printmaker Munakata Shiko (1903-1975). Munakata's set of ten very large prints in the form of hanging scrolls 'The Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha' use the simple contrast of black and white found in Serizawa's scroll.

FE.22:1-1985