Help reading some kanji
 

I received a call from someone who inherited some artwork. He asked me to help him read/understand the writing. I told him I'd do what I could. Most I recognize, but there are a handful that, either through them being written in script I can't read, or due to wear and tear parts are missing, I can't make out. I was hoping one of the skilled people here could help.

The first says 山峡乏秋, right?


The second I can't make out. Help?

Finally, the third says 松田春？. What is the last one? And did I get the 春 correct?

Thanks!

the first one is 山峡之秋, not 乏

second is 春畝作. If it was calligraphy he would write 書. So this must be a painting.

and third 松田春畝 http://artisjapan.net/default.asp?action=1&num=2795


btw. that seal states something else than 春畝 (畝 maybe, but i cannot find corresponding form of 春 in seal script, tough, mind you, artis may have multiple pen names)

edit: oh wow, I found a corresponding form of 春 in seal script. So this is definitely his seal (春畝).
Here is the little devl:



By the way, this is a great opportunity to see how complex is the seal script.

Ryuurui, I had a feeling you'd deliver!

So 山峡之秋 is read さんきょうのあき and means "Autumn in the Ravine," right? It's not a name of a person; it's presumably the title of the painting, I guess.

And yes, it is a painting.

Mhmm, the reading is a different story. This is most likely a 漢文 taken from Chinese literature (http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/15580584.html, but it is a guess only) and I reckon it will have a more poetic (traditional) reading, like やまかいのあき. Although the reading you are giving is also correct.

山峡之秋 is unlikely a name of a person, and it probably describes the painting itself, or explains its ambience, but again, only a guess on my side as I have not seen the painting.

I had a feeling it'd be a reference to a Chinese classic because of its nature as a ４時熟語.

Yeah, I think it is a classical Chinese four-verse.

One thing is certain, that his calligraphy is really good (and his bio says that he was a painter not a calligrapher), and I can see that his brushwork has solid foundations. It seems that that four-verse's style is based on works of 颜真卿 (Yán Zhēnqīng, 709–785). Calligraphy and ink-painting are sister arts, and they suplement each other. Usually both disciplines are studied in deapth, especially by more renowned artists. So, if that seal is authentic, this scroll (i presume it is a scroll) may be worth a bit.

I just heard back from him. It is a scroll, and it's painted on silk. He inherited it from his father, who bought it from an estate sale years ago of a man who was a collector.

Silk is even more priced than paper (though it depends on paper, I saw some hand made sheets for kana, A3 size, 250$ each), as painting/writing on it is much more expensive. Another thing is that one needs to be really skilled with a brush to write on silk. Its surface and ink blur abilities make it really difficult to write on. If the scroll is from the collector it means that it is most likely authentic.

Wait. Is it 「山峡之秋」 that you guys are calling a 四字熟語? If so, that it no 四字熟語; It is just a phrase.

I did not call it a 熟語, i said it is a Chinese four-verse. Typical length for Chinese classical poetry. On the other hand, many of those became 四字熟語.