Preliminary identification
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a magnificent set of three Japanese hanging scrolls (triptych) painted in the classical Yamato-e style, featuring heavy gold leaf flecking (sunago) and gold dust clouds. The scrolls depict the legendary handsome samurai rivals Nagoya Sanzaburo and Fuwa Bansaku, alongside a beautiful courtesan (Shirabyoshi dancer), housed in their original inscribed wooden storage box (kiribako).
Story
Dating to September 1937, these scrolls depict a legendary 16th-century love triangle and rivalry. Nagoya Sanzaburo and Fuwa Bansaku were real-life samurai celebrated in Kabuki theater as the ultimate paragons of male beauty and tragic romance.
Maker / Origin
The inscription on the box attributes the composition as a copy after Iwasa Matabei (1578–1650), the legendary artist often credited as the father of Ukiyo-e. The 1937 painter executed this homage with incredible fidelity to the classical Edo-period school of painting.
Condition & Value
The scrolls appear to be in excellent condition with minimal creasing, staining, or foxing, which is rare for paper and silk of this age. The mounting silks are intact and the original wooden box has preserved them beautifully. Excellent condition commands a premium.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.