Preliminary identification
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Overview
An exquisite Japanese kakejiku (hanging scroll) depicting 'Four Seasons Flowers and Plants' (四季草花) painted with mineral pigments and ink on silk (絹本). It features lush botanical arrangements including peonies, irises, morning glories, and a porcelain bowl with goldfish, accompanied by an inscribed wooden storage box (tomobako).
Story
Kyoto artist Maekawa Bunrei created vivid botanical studies during Japan's rapid modernization in the Meiji era. By combining classical Shijō school realism with decorative elegance, this scroll invites nature indoors year-round.
Maker / Origin
Maekawa Bunrei (前川文嶺, 1837–1917) was a prominent Kyoto painter trained in the Shijō naturalistic school under Maeda Chōdō. Renowned for his exquisite bird-and-flower (kachō-ga) paintings, he also produced the famous woodblock-printed compendium 'Bunrei Gakafu' (Bunrei's Album of Birds) in 1885.
Condition & Value
Fair to good antique condition. Mild age-toning and faint foxing spots on the silk ground; typical light handling wear and minor cracking on roller ends and the wooden tomobako box. Condition moderately moderates valuation.
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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.