Sumi and color on paper. This 18th century folding screen or byobu features a stylistically rendered tiger prowling a bamboo forest. Still on its original mount, the piece is framed by an intricately brocaded border of dyed silk and an original black lacquered wooden frame with cloth backing. In fine condition and possessing a remarkable aji (graceful beauty bestowed by age).

Based on a classical tale adapted into a popular Kabuki performance in late Edo, the story of the Fuji Musume or “Wisteria Maiden” is an often employed motif in Japanese art. In the story, the Wisteria Maiden is depicted in a painting holding a wisteria branch, until one day she becomes smitten with a young man passing by and steps out of the painting in an effort to capture his attention.

A native of Nagoya, a bustling Japanese center for shipping and trade in Late Edo, Baiitsu was heavily influenced by works of Chinese art, especially the naturalistic landscapes that made their way into Japan through this port city. Over time he came to paint almost exclusively birds in various landscapes and gained a reputation for his brushwork, exceptional attention to detail, and as he termed it the “spirit” he imbued in a completed work. [Sold]

Sumi on paper. A fine ensō drawn by Reigen Eto, one of the most prominent disciples of Hakuin. It is said that Reigen was known for his delicate brush strokes and works that displayed a profound empathy with nature. [Sold]