A heavy vine burgeoning with grapes hangs low with the weight of it sbountiful fruit in sweeping black strokes on this 17th century painting by Toko Shinetsu. Ink on paper with a rough beige silk and rosewood rollers mounted in the Mincho style. It is 59 x 186 cm (23 x 73 inches) in overall fine condition.
Toko Shinetsu (Jiang Zhaoyin, 1639-1696), was a Chinese Zen monk, poet, calligrapher, and musician who played a pivotal role in transmitting Ming literati culture to early Edo-period Japan. Born in Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province, during the final years of the Ming dynasty, he entered the Buddhist path as a child and became a Dharma heir to Jushō Mumyō at Hōon-ji Temple in the Wumen (Suzhou) region. In 1676, seeking refuge from the Qing dynasty's oppressive rule, Shin’etsu left Yongfu Temple and sailed to Japan, first arriving in Satsuma (modern Kagoshima). Invited by Zen master Chōitsu, he moved in 1681 to Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nagasaki. His journey through Japan included visits to prominent temples and figures, including Mokuan at Manpuku-ji, the center of the Ōbaku Zen sect. However, his status as a foreign monk traveling freely in Japan aroused suspicion, and he was eventually detained in Nagasaki under the accusation of being a Qing spy. In 1683, through the intercession of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the scholarly daimyo of Mito, Shin’etsu was released and relocated to the Mito Domain. There, at Tentoku-ji Temple, he resumed his teaching, sharing his knowledge of the guqin and the art of seal carving, greatly influencing Japanese literati circles and artistic practice. In 1694, he fell seriously ill. Despite efforts at recovery his health did not improve. He passed away in September of 1696 at the age of 58.
