Japanese Two-Panel Screen Pink and White Magnolias in Early Bloom

Japanese Two Panel Screen: Hibiscus in Bloom, Meiji period (1868 - 1912) painting of hibiscus flowers reaching for the sun in full bloom. Mineral pigments on silk with a silk brocad...

Rimpa painting of flowers including morning glories, hollyhocks, sweet peas, nadeshiko, and daisies. Signature and seal read: Bisui

Cherry Blossoms Kano Sanrakuki (1898-1981) Showa period, circa 1930 2-panel Japanese Screen Color, gofun and gold leaf on paper Against a backdrop of gold-leafed ground, the lichen covered trunk and branches of the life-sized cherry blossom tree reach out and beyond the confines of the pictorial surface. The overall composition has a feeling of flatness which draws emphasis to the surface and the three-dimensionality of the cherry blossoms. Painstakingly built-up layers of thickly applied shell-white gofun detail the voluminous blossoms and cover large areas of this tour-de-force of Japanese Nihonga painting. By simplifying the background, minimizing the number of colors and depicting the blossoms with such heavy relief, the artist has emphasized the stunning presence of the cherry tree. The type of tree depicted is the Yae-Zakura; a double-layered type of cherry blossom famed for its beauty and strength. When we think of Japanese cherry blossoms, the first thing that comes to mind is Somei Yoshino variety, which has a single flower with five almost white petals. This type is fragile and easily blown away by strong wind or rain. Most of the double-flowered cherry blossoms begin to bloom when the Somei-Yoshino falls, and the flowering period lasts longer than that of the Somei-Yoshino. Kano Sanrakuki originally studied painting at the Kyoto City Arts and Crafts School under the tutelage of Yamamoto Shunkyo...

Charming mid-20th century Japanese Showa period four-panel folding byobu screen featuring blossoming spring flowers over a bold gilt background. The painting depicts iris, camella, w...