Preliminary identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
This accordion-style concertina album (orihon) features exquisitely detailed hand-painted scenes on paper, mounted with brocade silk borders. The genre scenes depict vibrant Edo-period festivals, processionals, and riverboat celebrations painted with delicate mineral pigments and ink.
Story
In 17th-century Japan, peace brought a booming urban culture that loved celebrating festivals. Works attributed to official court painter Sumiyoshi Gukei captured this bustling energy in vivid narrative detail for high-ranking patrons.
Maker / Origin
Sumiyoshi Gukei (1631–1705) was a premier Japanese painter of the Yamato-e tradition and official painter (Goyo Eshi) to the Tokugawa shogunate. He broke away from the main Tosa school to establish the Sumiyoshi line in Edo, specializing in scenes of Japanese history, genre subjects, and lively urban festivities.
Condition & Value
Displays age-appropriate foxing, toning, and light staining across the paper panels. The brocade borders and binding structure appear relatively intact, preserving the overall vivid color of the figures. Moderate foxing slightly impacts overall display appeal.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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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.