‘Nihon’ (Japan) and ‘ga’ (painting)made out of two
words ‘Nihonga’ meaning painting in Japanese style. Its origin
can be traced back to a thousand years ago, though the name Nihonga
was given in the Meiji era (1868-1912) in order to distinguish it from
other art forms.
Nihonga involves the use of rock mineral pigments, which are crushed into 10 gradations from very fine
to sand grain textures. These pigments are derived from rocks (iwa-enogu), oyster shells (gofun),
corals, semi-precious stones like garnets, pearls, gold & silver, and layered upon handmade (washi )
paper (from mulberry tree ) produce complex color tones.
The use of these fine and coarse particles, when multi- layered, by special brushes (Fude) substrate on
washi paper, using glue (nikawa) and water is NIHONGA . The paintings emerge with a natural matte
finish, unique texture, and unparalled brilliance.
Some of these basic pigments have interesting origins................
"Sumi" or black ink is made from carbon obtained from burning pinewood and
rapeseed oil. The carbon is kneaded with glue, moulded into various shapes by slow natural
drying.
"Gofun" shell white pigment is derived from clan and oysters shells. Shells
are weathered, crushed mixed with water and ground with a stone mill, levigated and dried
naturally on wooden boards.
"Enji" Cochineal red. This is made from secretions of the lac insect larvae
as well as from extracts from the female cochineal insects.
"Kin" gold and "Gin " silver are used either in the form
of wash-kindei and gindei or leaf- kinpaku and ginpaku. Japans' gold leaf is the thinnest
in the world. Gold leaf is mixed with animal glue and rubbed to form gold color.
"Nikawa" the animal glue was traditionally made by boiling animal hides for
a couple of hours. The extracted liquid was poured into a container and moulded like
gelatin into thin sticks (sanzenbon) and dried for use. However, after the war, synthetic
binding mediums have been used.
"Washi": "wa" Japanese "shi" means paper. It is a traditional
Japanese paper, used for paintings, screens, & other. It is processed by hand using fibres from the inner
bark of the gampi tree , mitsumata , kozo *(mulberry tree) it is labour intensive and thus expensive. It
is flexible, light and translucent.
What is SUMI-E......?
In Sumi-e, the single stroke black ink painting, much like the zen concept, minimal or only the
essence is communicated dropping all unnecessary details. Needless to say, it is beauty condensed and
distilled. Even one wrong line, can take away the 'life' from the painting as no overlay to touch up is
allowed. The beauty lies in the angle and the pressure applied on the brush, esp while painting grass
leaves. The dry brush which has little ink on it and dried on paper , leaves blank spaces, which leave
much to suggestion like the hollow of the bamboos.
Interestingly, I learnt in Japan, that rock pigments had originated in India centuries ago. I quite
believed this, since mineral pigments and vegetable dyes were used in Miniature paintings and the cave
paintings of Ajanta. Thereafter, it must have travelled away and got adopted in the Far East, just as
Buddhism was.
Horyuji temple, Nara, Kyoto, Japan, has wall frescos similar to those in the Ajanta caves and said to
have been made around the same period. However, the wooden temple had caught fire, was rebuilt and the
frescos have since been restored.
