Go Shiken

Birds and flowers by Go Shiken. Okinawa Prefectural Museum

• Born: 1672
• Died: 1743
• Other Names: 山口 宗季 (Yamaguchi Sôki)
• Japanese/Chinese: 呉 師虔 (Go Shiken / Wú Shīqián)

Go Shiken, also known as Yamaguchi Sôki, was a Ryukyuan court painter, known especially for his birds-and-flowers paintings.

Born in 1672, Shiken traveled to China in 1704, and studied under Fuzhou painter Sun Yi. He was appointed to a position as court painter upon his return, producing a variety of paintings, including ones to be presented by the court as gifts to samurai elites. In 1717, he recreated as hanging scrolls the ogo-e royal portraits then extant as wall paintings within the Goshôdô hall of Engaku-ji.

References

• Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum.[1]