3 Translations - A little help please!

[PinyinHarry]

Hi!

 

I just purchased these three Chinese scrolls, and I was hoping someone here may be able to give me a little assistance with the translations? Everyone here is always very kind and generous with their time, so please accept my thanks and gratitude, as always, if you can help me!

 

Photos 1 - 6 are the first scroll.

 

Photo 1 is the calligraphy on the back of the scroll.

 

Photo 2 is the 6 main characters on the front, which I think I have worked out correctly as -

 

福 - Fú - Blessing / Good Fortune

萬 - Wàn - Ten Thousand / Great Number

壽 - Shòu - Life / Longevity

資 - Zī - Capital / Money

百 - Bǎi - Hundred / Numerous

福 - Fú - Blessing / Good Fortune

 

Is this correct? And is this an idiomatic expression in China?

 

Photo 3 is the 5 characters on the right side of the scroll. The only one I recognise is the second character - 田 - Tián.

 

Photo 4 is the 10 characters on the left side of the scroll. I think character 1 and 5 are - 三 - which is obviously the number 3!

 

Photos 5 and 6 are the seal marks. I think the characters in the two seals in photo 6 are the same, just in a different seal script?

 

Photos 7 and 8 are of the second scroll.

 

I have tried to work out the characters in photo 8, but I think I am very unsuccessful. I think (Starting top right) maybe it is - 1. 被 2. 頭 3. ?? 4. 語

 

And then maybe 辛中肯语重力芳说 for the other 8 characters? I think I am way off here!!! And I have no clue on the seal!

 

Photos 9, 10 and 11 are the third scroll.

 

I think the three characters in photo 10 are - 月月红 - Yuè yuè hóng - Red Moon???

 

And then in photo 11, I got 便周馬应讽 for the 5 characters there, but again I think I am totally wrong! And Also again, I have no idea on the seal!

 

If anyone can help at all, Thanks so much as always!!!

 

合掌!!

[陳德聰]

1st scroll is "稱萬壽 資百福＂. 2nd is "枝頭鳥語＂.

[skylee]

The first scroll is obviously Japanese.

 

Right - 沖田兄雅屬

Centre - 稱萬壽資百福

Left - 正四位勳三等巖谷修書

Written by a Japanese nobleman.

PS - further info provided to the OP -

The artist is 正四位勳三等巖谷修. 正四位勳三等 is the noble title. 巖谷修 is the name. He is also known as 巖谷一六 (Iwaya Ichiroku）, 誠卿, etc.

http://www.answers.com/topic/iwaya-ichiroku-1

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B7%8C%E8%B0%B7%E4%B8%80%E5%85%AD

http://www.ccv.ne.jp/home/tohou/sen39.htm

PPS - Wouldn't you think it is quite weird for someone to write his own official title like that? I think well-learned people should usually be quite humble. Hmm. You may also wish to check if he usually signed his works with the name 一六 or his real name 修.

[PinyinHarry]

Thank you very much 陳德聰!! And as always, many thanks skylee!!!   

[MPhillips]

The third scroll is entitled 月月红 or "China Rose" [scientific name: Rosa Chinensis] which must be the kind of flower depicted. The inscription says: 復 園 寫 X 題 （the next-to-last character might be 芝）. The seal says 復園 。There is another painting by a Japanese artist named 復園（Fukuen ?）on display at a Japanese auction house's website. I wish I could provide a link to it, it seems quite beautiful, unfortunately I'm writing from a phone.

[MPhillips]

The second line of the second painting's inscription says: 辛 卯 六 月 徐 勤 芳 畵 X 。 Sorry, I'm stumped by the last character, but I can tell you it was painted in the sixth lunar month of 1951 (or 2011, 1891, et al.) by Xu Qinfang (Wade-Giles: Hsü Ch'in-fang). The seal says 徐 (Xu) also.

[PinyinHarry]

Thank you so much MPhillips, that really is so helpful, it really is very kind of you to spare some time!!

 

And Skylee, I did check briefly on google and I found another scroll attributed to Iwaya Ichiroku, which he does seem to have signed with his official title, and the seals appear to be similar, just a different style of script.

 

 

 

 

I don't know, maybe he was a bit....egotistical??!!