238 - A SUPERB SET OF FOUR LARGE GOLD-GROUND ‘BIRDS AND FLOWERS OF THE FOUR SEASONS’ SILK EMBROIDERY PANELS

A SUPERB SET OF FOUR LARGE GOLD-GROUND ‘BIRDS AND FLOWERS OF THE FOUR SEASONS’ SILK EMBROIDERY PANELS Japan, circa 1890, Meiji period (1868-1912) Exquisitely embroidered in colored silk threads, with areas worked in low relief against a shimmering ground of gold-wrapped threads. Each panel presents an elaborate bird-and-flower composition celebrating the changing seasons. Spring is represented by sparrows fluttering among delicately flowering cherry branches, while Summer depicts a pair of mandarin ducks nestled among flowering irises, with butterflies fluttering overhead. Autumn is celebrated through chrysanthemums in full bloom, with birds and butterflies hovering among the blossoms. Winter presents a magnificent peacock perched upon a flowering magnolia tree, its luxuriant tail sweeping downward in a cascade of intricately worked feathers, each eyespot individually rendered in subtly shaded silk. The exceptional refinement of the needlework, with its subtle gradations of color, finely delineated plumage, and intricately layered petals, creates a remarkably painterly effect. Each panel mounted behind glass in a custom gilt and lacquered frame. IMAGE SIZE approx. 90 x 53 cm (each) SIZE INCL. MOUNTING 108.5 x 71.8 cm (each) Provenance: Warren Imports, Laguna Beach, California, acquired from a private estate in Belgium in 1990. A private collection in Boston, Massachusetts, acquired from the above. A copy of an invoice from Warren Imports, dated 1 February 1991, recording a purchase price of USD 27,500 or approx. EUR 61,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Also accompanying the lot is a copy of a Fine Arts Appraisal, written and signed by Michael R. May, Fine Arts Director of Warren Imports Far East Fine Arts, dated 10 December 1991, recording a value of USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 65,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), and confirming the dating and earlier provenance. Warren Imports Far East Fine Arts was a long-established Asian art gallery in Laguna Beach, California, developed by Harry J. Lawrence, who acquired the original Warren Import Gift Shop in 1946. The gallery became known for its extensive collection of Asian antiques and decorative arts, including Chinese furniture, bronzes, porcelain, and Japanese works of art. Notably, Lawrence acquired an important group of Chinese imperial furniture during the 1960s, part of which was subsequently sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and fading to colors. Minor losses to corners, scattered loose threads, and small holes. The frames with minor chipping, light surface scratches, and rubbing. The present panels are outstanding examples of the sophisticated Japanese pictorial embroidery developed during the Meiji period, when textile artists elevated traditional needlework to a remarkable level of painterly refinement. Particularly impressive is the masterful treatment of the birds' plumage and the delicate modulation of color across the blossoms, creating extraordinary depth and naturalism against the luminous gold-thread ground. Such elaborate embroidered pictures, known as shishu-ga, were produced as prestigious decorative works for domestic and international audiences, and closely rivaled contemporary painting in their artistic ambition. Museum comparison: Compare a related four-panel silk embroidered screen depicting birds and flowers of the four seasons, produced by Iida & Co. of Kyoto, dated circa 1880-1900, each panel measuring 192.5 x 73.7 cm, in the Royal Collection, inventory number RCIN 42037. The screen was presented to King Edward VII in 1902 on behalf of Emperor Meiji and exhibited in Japan: Courts and Culture, The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, 8 April 2022-12 March 2023.