98 - JAPAN - 20th century

JAPAN - 20th century A pair of medium-sized, two-panel folding screens, consisting of works originally conceived as *kakejiku* (hanging scroll paintings) depicting scenes from famous Noh plays. Each screen features two scenes, painted on silk. The first screen depicts, on the left, *Ebira* (“The Quiver”), depicting the ghost of the warrior Kajiwara Genta Kagesue, famous for his exploits during the wars between the Genji (Minamoto) and Heike (Taira) clans. On the right is *Hagoromo* (“The Feather Cloak”), depicting a celestial nymph (*tennin*) performing the famous Hagoromo dance after recovering her cloak. The second folding screen shows, on the left, *Hachi no Ki* (“The Potted Trees”), illustrating a scene in which a destitute samurai sacrifices his precious bonsai trees for firewood to warm a wandering monk during a snowstorm. On the right is *Miwa*: the goddess of the Miwa Shrine evokes, through dance, the myth of Amaterasu’s emergence from her cave, while holding a *gohei* (sacred ritual stick). All the paintings bear the artist’s signature and seal: “Shûhô” (秀芳). Created in ink and color on silk and mounted in wooden frames. The folding screens are fitted with double-jointed purple silk hinges, allowing them to fold in both directions. The reverse side is covered with blue-gray paper, adorned with motifs of autumn grasses and flowers. D Dimensions: Total width (both screens): 285.2 cm Single screen: 142.6 cm (2 × 71.3 cm) Height: 151.9 cm (Signs of wear, foxing, and missing sections)