Sumi, color, gofun, and gold flecks on paper. In addition, this piece contains a unique woodblock print technique that utilizes gofun, a ground oyster shell treatment. As a result, the forest sprites featured in this piece are hidden to the viewer until viewed from the right perspective.The inscribed poem is done in the waka style and reads, “A twig broken is a sin, here at Togano’o… so permit me, some fallen leaves, O guardians of these autumn hills.” [Sold]

Sumi and color on paper. This piece by well-known Taisho period artist Tomita Keisen depicts foresters riding log rafts down the Uji-gawa. Keisen was trained in classical painting and was well-versed in the Kano and Shijo school traditions. Despite his classical roots, he strove to develop his own unique style of painting. [Sold]

This masterful rendition of an idilic landscape done in the Nanga style of Chinese painting is spread across three canvases titled 1) “Arashiyama” (A district nestled at the foot of Kyoto’s eastern mountain range), 2) “Kyomizu-dera” (One of Kyoto’s most iconic temples located in the western foothills), and 3) “Tatsuta” (An area west of Kyoto on the edge of Lake Biwa, known for its expansive fields of lotus flowers). These three actual places are used as the inspiration for this fanciful interpretation that is expressed through a classical Chinese painting style.

Japanese Nihonga painting on paper—this piece by well-known Meiji/ Taisho artist Tomita Keisen depicts an idealized mountain scene in Keisen’s distinctive style. Close inspection reveals a mountain temple nestled along the cliffs overlooking twin waterfalls. Meanwhile, master and student traverse a mountain path below on their way back to the hermitage.