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A curious display

December 22, 2015 by Jonas Dupuich

I’ll keep this post simple – does anyone know the story behind this display from last month’s Taikan-ten?

Display with figures

Figures on burl wood

Close-up

Box of figures

 

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Filed Under: Exhibits Tagged With: Japan, Taikan-ten

Previous Post: « More shitakusa from Taikan-ten
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zack Clayton says

    December 23, 2015 at 4:36 am

    Please let us know if someone answers this. It is very odd. Beautiful burl. Interesting box of concretions. And then there is some other incongruous stuff off camera.

  2. Mac McAtee says

    December 23, 2015 at 6:28 am

    Anyone out there that can read the signs on the display? That may help.

  3. Mark R Cooper says

    December 23, 2015 at 6:59 am

    I saw this too Jonas, but I have no idea of the concept behind this either. 🙂

  4. Toshiro says

    December 23, 2015 at 8:23 am

    Mr Valavanis seems to have hinted on his blog that he knows the meaning

  5. Chris Linares says

    December 23, 2015 at 9:03 am

    Looks like Eurasian Land Btidge between Japanese Mountains and China or a transition from mountain life to city life.

  6. Vicki Chamberlain says

    December 23, 2015 at 9:35 am

    Hi Jonas,
    If you have a higher res image I can ask my friends to translate the cards.
    cheers and happy holidays!

  7. Jonas Dupuich says

    December 23, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    Here’s a link to a full-size image you can download: https://dupuich.smugmug.com/Japan-2015/35th-Taikan-ten/i-R87STDT/A

    The most interesting guess I’ve heard so far is that it’s a reference to the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

  8. Chris Cochrane says

    December 23, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    I’ll hazard a guess that the torso-exposed figures are precarious survivors on life rafts in a roiling sea– perhaps, during a tsunami..Alternatively, the figures could represent the zombie apocalypse, which begins in yonder foothills. Neither suggests the quiet, solemn harmony of man and nature that is often expressed as the Japanese spirit in bonsai & suiseki communities. Is the depiction intended to be a bit surprising & disorienting? At Taikanten, the selection and arrangement of objects in a display are sometimes eccentric & intended to ignore tradition.

  9. Vicki Chamberlain says

    December 24, 2015 at 9:29 am

    Well the translations prove somewhat less enlightening than hoped.

    Translation of the note cards from left to right:
    • Mining Rodeo Drive (Fifth Avenue)
    • Wishes of a girl (virgin)
    • (address & name)
    • (title) Mount Hiei (name of famous mountain in Kyoto where is known by a world heritage Enryakuji.

    Happy holidays to all!

  10. Jonas Dupuich says

    December 24, 2015 at 9:58 am

    Ha – that’s great! Thanks Vicki

  11. John Miller says

    December 31, 2015 at 4:29 am

    I would suggest that the scene represents the 1571 Siege of Mount Hiei. Googling Mt Hiei turned up two articles on Wikipedia re this. The translations by Vicki were the key. Mining is a military technique of planting hidden explosives. The long forms in front with figurines are boats carrying the warriors. The burl represents the town that was destroyed and the stone identifies the place exactly.

    Oda Nobunaga led 30,000 men in destroying towns and temples on the mountain and near its base. This event would mark the end of the great power of Mt. Hiei’s warrior monks.

    John Miller

  12. Jonas Dupuich says

    December 31, 2015 at 8:16 am

    I like it – thanks John!

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