Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A fine Japanese kakejiku (hanging scroll) rendered in ink and mineral colors on silk, depicting blossoming flora, cabbages, and various insects. The lower left bears the signature 'Katei' (和亭) with artist seals, accompanied by an inscribed paulownia tomobako (fitted wooden storage box).
Story
Appointed an Imperial Household Artist in 1893, Taki Katei brought the Nanpin school's vivid natural realism straight to international audiences at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
Maker / Origin
Taki Katei (1830–1901) was a preeminent painter of the late Edo and Meiji eras who studied under Tetsuō Somon and was deeply influenced by Chinese Qing-dynasty bird-and-flower painting. He became a leading cultural figure in Meiji Tokyo, exhibiting widely and serving as an Imperial Household Artist (Teishitsu Gigeiin).
Condition & Value
The silk ground displays uniform age toning, minor creases consistent with rolling, and faint scattered spotting. Overall preservation is very good with intact patterned silk brocade mounting, which positively stabilizes value.
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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.