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Would appreciate very much your help on the translation and artist info on this older-looking Buddhist painting scroll, please 🙏
Many thanks!

Tony

Pic.1, First two lines of the Heart Sutra
Pic.2, Last lines of the same Heart Sutra
This Chinese version is attributed to the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang contains 260 characters.
Online you can find several English translations and explanations.

With regards,
I.Nagy

There is a passage on the upper part, assuming of the Heart Sutra, but am not sure of which version 260 character- Chinese or 262 character -Japanese/ Korean. There is additional info at the end of the passage (5th picture from the top) which would be helpful to shed light 🙏

Signature,
華堂謹寫　Carefully painted by Huatang
Seal,
華堂　　　Huatang (Pseudonym) - Unidentifiablde

With regards,
I.Nagy

So much thanks and appreciation, again, I. Nagy for your precious time, expertise, and tremendous kind help !!!

Tony

It is noted that instead of the usual branch of willow and vase/vessel containing the water of compassion, it is the lotus and, especially, the conch shell (?) / something in the right hand for Dharma weaponry in this representation.

Gold on black silk are rather modern Japanese paintings the name reads Kadou.
Its a 20th century painting so Kita Kadou would not be possible. I could not give you a modern painter.

Its rare to see a painting directly from the painters studio. not even trimmed for mounting.

Very much appreciated of your time and kind help Peter! It’s always great to have your inputs 😊 (Sorry! I still have not got time to get to the mounted boards of the Blue-Green landscape painting frames that bear no sign of authorship that we discussed a while ago)
On this scroll, the painting of the facial features, especially the eyes and lips, do remind me of classic Japanese painting depicting style of female figures. On the gold and black background in general, for religious purpose - namely Buddhism in my case, I’ve seen and came across a few with the same gold and black theme, from different cultures and periods. Maybe dark background design was intended for meditative purpose? (Here is one that I posted here on the forum a while back: https://asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=140996). It seems to me that this painting scroll was made for personal religious reverence, as it is very portable and humble in design. The overall dimensions are 46” by 19”, and the painting was stitched onto the scroll, totally made of several layers of all silk material. The dark background seems as was manually dyed (? -based on the blurry edges) with dark purplish/bluish dyes (?). There is a small wooden stick embedded on the top without any mean for hanging, …
As for the painter, it was a great lead that you gave as for the name Kita Kado (木田華堂). I searched for his name online and among the many query results, there was one of his works (as credited by the auctioned listing agency) of a female figure painting, with the same name and seal. It can be seen at the link and photo below.
With the great helps, it presents here one possible answer as to the scroll’s origin, and so much thanks to you Peter, I. Nagy and many others who lend the expertise and precious time for the generous kind helps!!!
Tony 😊





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Kita Kadou is a good painter, but the two paintings (yours and the female beauty) are not by him, but by an early 20th century artist. So its a different painter with the same name Kadou.

The condition is how the painter had prepared the silk sheet in his studio to paint this. Its meant to be cut out at the edge of the black background to be mounted in a normal hanging scroll. Its very unusual to find a painting in this condition. so probably it was bought/ recieved directly in the workshop from the artist while visiting him.

peter

Thanks so much Peter for the clarification on the artist and the explanation on the border trimming topics 🙏🙏🙏
From you and others, I’ve learned in depth something new about Asian Arts and processes of art making, every time ❤️

Tony

Just to share a thought…
I recently learned from a much older Zen Buddhist friend the Japanese term “wabi-sabi” which conveys in essence the concept of “The appreciation of the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and simplicity as the natural state of things in the world.”, among the many interpretations.
… It could not be applied timely in any better situation than the topic here on “trimming of the border”, considering the meaning and purpose of the scroll … “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form." Intentionally or not … your take! 😊
…as for me, I treasure it even more. Thanks Peter !
🙏❤️🙏

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