Description

Antique Japanese Zenga scroll painting of a scholar’s cane or staff. Elongated vertical composition with calligraphy. Painted in sumi ink on paper. The seal with white on red says:
巨福山主
Kofuku Sanshu
“Chief Priest of Kofuku”
(Kofuku is the “mountain name” of Kenchō-ji temple in Kamakura)

The lower seal with red on white says:
曇華
Donge

So, these are the seals of Sugawara Donge (original name Sugawara Jihō) [1866-1956] (The don means cloudy/overcast; ge means flower/brilliance)

Sugawara Jiho served as 236th abbot of the Kencho-ji Kamakura, one of the oldest Zen temples in Japan. His appointment, in 1905, followed years of training under top Zen masters of the day, including Rinzai master Tekisui Giboku.  Jiho was not only a prolific Zen artist, but also wrote the book Seventy Years of Floating and Sinking in the Sea of Zen.

Dimensions: Total: 79 1/4″ high x 17 3/4″ wide. Size of artwork: 53 1/2″ high x 13″ wide