Title: Kenno Kakishasei-cho (Sketches of Flowers by Kenno), Circa 1880-1920. 24 Beautiful Watercolor Paintings of Flowers in a Southern School Style
Author: Okamoto Kenno
Condition: Very Good
A Meiji to Taisho Period, 19th to early 20th century manuscript, entitled Kenno Kakishasei-cho, or Sketches of Flowers by Kenno, an album of floral paintings by the artist Okamoto Kenno (1849-1923).
There are 24 beautifully produced paintings, depicting flowering branches and verdant, lush greenery. Most have been produced using watercolor techniques, but some of the branches and trees bear the telltale sign of ink wash painting from the Southern School style, also noted with the craggy rocks.
A Japanese painter from Nagoya, Kenno was a Japanese painter who learned the Southern School of Chinese painting from the Chinese painter Hu Tie-mei.
The paintings have been finely bound in album format, with decorated, gold brocade covers.
One painting album in orihon format (21.2 x 15.3 cm), 30 leaves
This album is in very good shape, with minor wear and very slight worming to the covers. There is very little staining and foxing throughout, and two very small worm tracks not affecting illustrations.