Two Beauties on a Shore by KAWAMATA TSUNEMASA 川又常正 (mid-18th century)

This exquisite mid-18th-century kakejiku (掛け軸, hanging scroll) by Kawamata Tsunemasa is a quintessential example of mitate-e (見立絵, painting re-enacting a classical tale). The painting depicts the sisters Matsukaze and Murasame, humble salt-gatherers from the shores of Suma made famous by the haunting Noh drama Matsukaze (The Wind in the Pines). In this scene, the sisters pause from their labors, their brine buckets set aside, to pine for their departed lover, the exiled courtier Ariwara no Yukihira. Matsukaze is shown wearing the eboshi (烏帽子, court cap) and kariginu (狩衣, gauze jacket) left behind by the nobleman as tokens of his affection, garments that, in the climax of the play, trigger a ghostly dance of longing and madness.

Tsunemasa’s technical mastery is visible through the delicate rendering of the figures, characterized by their small round faces, slender wrists, and tender expressions that distinguish his hand from his contemporaries. Despite the classical subject matter, the sisters are styled according to the height of 1740s fashion, when this painting was made. Their elaborate hairdos and sweeping robes grounding the ethereal legend in the vibrant world of the Edo period. Traces of original gold remain on the gauze jacket, catching the light and hinting at the former opulence of the courtly gift. The work is executed in ink, colors, and gofun (胡粉, calcified shell powder) on silk, creating a luminous surface that enhances the porcelain-like quality of the women’s skin. 

Presented in custom silk and sarasa (更紗, printed cotton) mounts by the master mounter Kami Kentarō (1987), the scroll is preserved in a modern wood storage box. It represents a rare opportunity to acquire a work by a significant ukiyo-e (浮世絵, pictures of the floating world) master that perfectly bridges the gap between the somber intensity of the Noh theater and the refined elegance of mid-Edo period painting. Signed and sealed ‘Tsunemasa hitsu,’ it has red lacquered kirijiku (桐軸, wooden roller ends). 

KAWAMATA TSUNEMASA 川又常正

Kawamata Tsunemasa was an Edo-period ukiyo-e painter active during the first half of the 18th century, working primarily in nikuhitsu-ga (肉筆画, hand-painted compositions). A leading figure of the Kawamata school, he was a disciple of its founder, Kawamata Tsuneyuki, and is recognized today as one of the most refined creators of early ukiyo-e painting. Tsunemasa specialized in bijin-ga (美人画, images of beautiful women), producing elegant hanging scrolls distinguished by delicate line work, softly rounded facial features, and a restrained, lyrical palette. His figures convey quiet intimacy and cultivated grace, reflecting the refined tastes of Edo’s urban elite. Tsunemasa worked almost exclusively in painting, creating works intended for private enjoyment rather than public circulation. His refined handling of the female figure and his emphasis on mood over narrative drama helped shape the visual language that would define later ukiyo-e.

A hallmark of Tsunemasa’s oeuvre is his frequent use of mitate-e, works that cleverly transpose themes from classical literature and historical narratives into contemporary Edo settings. These works appealed to viewers attuned to subtle cultural references and playful reinterpretations of the past. Approximately fifty paintings attributed to Tsunemasa are known to survive today, making his work comparatively rare. He occasionally used the art name Chōsetsusai, though his paintings are typically signed ‘Tsunemasa hitsu.’ His pupil, Kawamata Tsunetatsu, is believed to have continued the Kawamata school following Tsunemasa’s later years.

Today, Tsunemasa is valued for his quiet elegance, painterly sensitivity, and skillful employment of mitate-e within early ukiyo-e art. This piece offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire work by an artist whose paintings are intimate, literate, and exquisitely crafted.