Preliminary identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
An exquisite Japanese hanging scroll (kakejiku) rendered in silk painting depicting a noble court scene set against a mist-covered autumnal landscape. The inscriptions and red artist seals on the silk image margin and tomobako (wooden storage box) attribute the painting to an artist named Katsutani at age 68.
Story
Executed in the traditional Yamato-e aesthetic, this artwork captures aristocrats arriving at a serene villa under a harvest moon. The inscription records that the master painter created this work at sixty-eight years of age.
Maker / Origin
The signature on the lower left margin of the artwork and on the accompanying tomobako reads 'Katsutani hitsu' (painted by Katsutani) along with an age inscription ('Gyo-nen roku-ju-hachi sai'). Artists in Edo-period Japan frequently celebrated their milestone birthdays by recording their age on major commissions.
Condition & Value
The painted silk panel exhibits light toning and minor horizontal creasing consistent with age and repeated rolling. The mounting and inscribed tomobako remain intact.
Full Research
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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.