Please read title from oil painting.

[Ger]

Having found this oil painting on wood I wonder what the text on the reverse says.
Then I am curious who the players in the painting might be or represent.

So far I got 賛石五段. Having found a goplayer Yamaguchi Sanseki (山口賛石, 1878-1954) Kansai Ki-in pro 7 dan, I think that is him. The seal then seems to say 山口賛石.

If that is correct I am left with the remaining text and if it was indeed painted by Yamaguchi Sanseki. Is there a date? Is more work by him known, especially oil?

Are the players in the painting from a legend or myth or fairy tale connected with go?

 

[Majestic]

The writing to the left says 四拾年記念 (40 year anniversary). The stamps do say Yamaguchi Sanseki, which leads me to believe he drew/painted it himself. (He may have been 5th dan on his 40th birthday).

It may be a self-portrait/caricature of him playing against a devil (oni).

 

[Ger]

Hello, thanks a lot!
It also would date the painting - as 1912.
Is the wording consistent with someone at the age of 40 dating his painting, or could it have been made at the occasion of a 40 year event or someone else's birthday? Or even at the occasion of him being promoted to 5th dan?
Is it possible to indicate how to recognize 年記?
Any guess about the last two characters?

 

[Ger]

The writing to the left says 四拾年記念 (40 year anniversary). The stamps do say Yamaguchi Sanseki, which leads me to believe he drew/painted it himself. (He may have been 5th dan on his 40th birthday).

It may be a self-portrait/caricature of him playing against a devil (oni

Thanks.
I forgot to use the reply button to the folow up above. so now I do in case you have not been notified... Please have a look.

 

[Toritoribe]

I don't know where you got the year 1912 from, but the left end column is 丁丑, i.e., it's painted in 1937. 山口賛石 was 5 dan when the 1st Hon'inbō tournamentin was held in 1939, so it's reasonable that he was 5 dan in 1937. (The Hon'inbō tournament was held form 1939 to 1941, but the final game of the 5 dan class tournament was held in 1939.)

五段級トーナメント
山口賛石五段

第1期本因坊戦 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

村島誼紀
1939年の第1期本因坊戦では、五段級トーナメントを篠原正美と二人が勝抜いて

村島誼紀 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

It doesn't seem to me that the kanji under 拾 is 年. Anyway, it's 記念 "anniversary", as Majestic-san wrote, not 年紀, even if it's 年.

 

[Majestic]

I'm pretty sure its 年 - as written in sōsho style.

 

[Toritoribe]

Ah, I see. Sorry for my misinterpretation! Well, then, it could be the 40th anniversary of his professional go player career. (He was 18 or 19 in 1897.)

 

[Ger]

I don't know where you got the year 1912 from,

Seems to have been cleared up - he was born in 1872 and 40 then.

not 年紀, even if it's 年.

Was not meant to have been written as a word, those were the two characters I could not recognize.

Since even while acting as a painter he signed with his dan grade added, would that make it likely he painted it to celebrate his promotion to fifth dan, now "having to play those strong devils"?
Is there a site on the internet listing the Kansai Kiin promotion dates?

Added: I found a similar example:

• アメリカ旅行のよい記念になります。
  
  This will be a good souvenir of my trip around the United States."

記念, 紀念, きねん, kinen - Nihongo Master

commemoration, memory - Meaning of 記念, 紀念, きねん, kinen. Japanese dictionary entry with readings, audio and examples.

nihongomaster.com

 

[Toritoribe]

he was born in 1872

Isn't it 1878?

山口賛石, 1878-1954

Since even while acting as a painter he signed with his dan grade added, would that make it likely he painted it to celebrate his promotion to fifth dan

No, 賛石五段四拾年記念 can't have that meaning. It's "40th anniversary", not "5 dan promotion anniversary". "Name + dan" is quite commonly used as a title for professional go or shōgi players, just like 藤井九段 or 井山九段.

Added: I found a similar example:

• アメリカ旅行のよい記念になります。
  
  This will be a good souvenir of my trip around the United States."

記念, 紀念, きねん, kinen - Nihongo Master

commemoration, memory - Meaning of 記念, 紀念, きねん, kinen. Japanese dictionary entry with readings, audio and examples.

nihongomaster.com

Well, I know the meaning of the word, and you don't need to provide me examples how it's used in Japanese. I'm confident that I can make countless example sentences, including the ones with the meanings the site doesn't mention at all. だって母国語なんですから。

 

[Ger]

Isn't it 1878?

No, 賛石五段四拾年記念 can't have that meaning. It's "40th anniversary", not "5 dan promotion anniversary". "Name + dan" is quite commonly used as a title for professional go or shōgi players, just like 藤井九段 or 井山九段.

Yes, I was confused ... It's 1878.
So the search has to be "what happened in 1897?" to trigger a game with the devil.
That is I assume the devil's opponent is not a creature from Japanese myths,...?

 

[Toritoribe]

The costume looks like Japanese style to me.

 

[Ger]

Well, I know the meaning of the word, and you don't need to provide me examples how it's used in Japanese. I'm confident that I can make countless example sentences, including the ones with the meanings the site doesn't mention at all. だって母国語なんですから。

Apologies... I had searched for myself how the word could be used and the example was only to explain which meaning I thought it might be.

 

[Ger]

The costume looks like Japanese style to me.

Is there any significance in the fact that it is an oil painting?
I hope it is not too far off-topic, but my impression is that oil was rarely used in prewar Japanese painting. Not something an average amateur would take up. The calligraphy and sketches by go professionals I come across. are invariably done in ink and watercolor. It is rather small 22 by 16 cm, twice a postcard.

 

[Toritoribe]

Sorry, but I have no idea.