Meeting between Emperor Wen and Fisherman Lü Shang - Kano Takanobu

A six-panel Japanese screen painting by Kano Takanobu, depicting the historic meeting between King Wen of Zhou and the sage Lü Shang.

This six-panel folding screen depicts a classic narrative from Chinese history, the encounter between King Wen of Zhou and the sage Lü Shang, also known as Jiang Ziya. The scene captures the moment the ruler discovers the future strategist fishing by the Wei River. Kano Takanobu, a member of the influential Kano school, employs the characteristic aesthetic of the Momoyama period, which favoured large-scale compositions on gold-leaf backgrounds. The gold leaf serves to flatten the pictorial space, creating a luminous surface that reflects light within a room.

The figures are rendered with precise ink outlines and filled with mineral pigments. The composition is balanced across the six panels, with the Emperor and his retinue occupying the centre and right, while the solitary fisherman sits on the far left. This spatial separation emphasises the narrative tension of the meeting. The inclusion of pine trees and rocky outcrops provides a sense of setting, though these elements remain secondary to the human interaction. The Kano school was known for its ability to adapt Chinese themes for Japanese architectural settings, often producing works for castles and temples. This screen demonstrates the technical skill required to apply gold leaf in a grid pattern, a common practice that adds texture to the background. The figures wear period-appropriate robes, their postures conveying the formality of the imperial court contrasted with the humble appearance of the sage. The work remains a fine example of the decorative yet narrative-driven style that defined the transition into the early Edo period.