About "Hina Dolls"
Ink on paper, illustrated in “Kokka” Vol. 1430 (94×28cm / 176×34cm)
Was there ever a painter who drew dolls in such a way? Whether now or in the past, it’s quite likely that no one other than Soga Shohaku would paint so peculiarly. Is the male doll behind dancing or falling down? In the foreground is a female doll with her arms spread and her body unclothed. The inscription states, “I’m drunk and I can see numerous dolls”. Although this work contradicts the calculated and elaborate drawings Shohaku is also renowned for, the piece presents the artist in a state of liberation, where his brush is free to run and travel, drunk, across the paper. On another note, the work is also interesting in how it displays how Shohaku interacts with the haiku poet, Futsukabo Sou.
About "Soga Shohaku"
Soga Shohaku (1730-1781) was a painter from the late Edo period, born in Kyoto. He studied under Takada Keiho, he called himself "Soga Dasoku Jyusse (Soga 10th generation Snakefoot)" and admired paintings from Muromachi period. In recent years, he has gained a reputation as one of the painter of "Lineage of Eccentrics".
About "Futsukabo Sou"
Futsukabo Sou (1711-1775) was a poet of the middle to late Edo period who's last name was Kikuchi. Whilst he was born into a family of doctors, he pursied Haiku in his whole lifetime. In memory of the poet's yearing for Basho, a prefect, a mound was built in the precints of Shitennoji temple.
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