Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
An exceptionally wide, atmospheric landscape hanging scroll (yokofuku) depicting Mount Fuji rising above a misty coastal village. Painted in the classic ink-wash (suiboku-ga) style, it carries a traditional attribution to Unkoku Toeki, the second son of the school's founder, Unkoku Togan.
Story
During the early 1600s, the Unkoku school claimed the artistic mantle of the legendary master Sesshu. This scroll's dramatic horizontal format was designed to transform a tea room, pulling the viewer into a quiet, misty world where Mount Fuji stands as an eternal, silent guardian.
Maker / Origin
Unkoku Toeki (1591–1644) was the second son of Unkoku Togan, who founded the school under the patronage of the Mori clan in western Japan. The Unkoku school specialized in preserving the bold, structured ink-wash techniques of Sesshu Toyo, positioning themselves as his direct artistic descendants during a time of intense competition with the Kano school.
Condition & Value
The painting shows signs of significant age, including horizontal creasing, minor paper loss, and scattered foxing/staining consistent with a 400-year-old scroll. The mounting appears stable but shows wear along the edges.
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.