Sugitani Sessho

Sugitani Sesshô was a prominent painter of the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods, who served as court painter (goyô eshi) to the Hosokawa clan lords of Kumamoto han.

Born in 1827 the son of Kumamoto han court painter Sugitani Yukinao, he was raised with training in painting in the styles of Unkoku Togan, Sesshû, and the Northern painting style of China.

He is known to have accompanied Kumamoto hittô karô (Chief Elder) Matsui Teruyuki to Edo in 1856, and thus is known to have had experience not only with Kumamoto, but also with the city of Edo and many locales elsewhere within the realm.

Sesshô traveled to Tokyo again in 1887, where he was commissioned to produce a number of sliding screen or wall paintings for the Hosokawa, and for the Imperial Court.

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