A HIGHLY IMPORTANT SIX-PANEL ‘SNOW-DUSTED WILLOW AND DUCKS’ BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN), ATTRIBUTED TO KANO EITOKU, FORMERLY KEPT AS A TREASURED ITEM IN THE JURAKUDAI PALACE IN KYOTO

Attributed to Kano Eitoku (1543-1590), unsigned
Japan, c. 1589-1590, Momoyama period (1573-1615)

Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold leaf on paper, mounted on silk brocade on six lacquered wood panels with brass fittings. This monumental folding screen is finely painted with a large willow tree, delicately dusted with snow, surrounded by blossoming camellias signaling the arrival of spring, alongside evergreen bamboo leaves. A braided wooden fence separates the shore from which the majestic tree rises, while gently rippling waters below are graced by a small flock of ducks swimming, with a pair in flight above the scene.

Inscriptions:
On the back, a label reads: 聚楽御所御物、法印永徳筆 [painted by (Kano) Eitoku, with the title of Dharma's Law, a treasure item kept at the Jurakudai Palace (Kyoto)].

SIZE 169.9 x 379.3 cm

Provenance: From an old private collection in Nice, France. A label affixed to the back confirms it was held in the Jurakudai Palace in Kyoto in the late 16th century.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear and vibrant colors. Some soiling and expected flaking to the gold leaf. The back with traces of wear and use. Occasional tears and losses to the joints with associated repairs.

This folding screen is a rare and highly significant example of Kano Eitoku's work, and it was once a treasured item in the Jurakudai Palace in Kyoto. The Jurakudai was an immense, castle-like mansion built by the powerful warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi and completed in 1587. Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan as regent after Oda Nobunaga’s death, spared no expense in the creation of this architectural marvel, which was not only a personal residence but also a symbol of his power and influence. In 1588, the Jurakudai was visited by Emperor Go-Yozei, cementing its importance in the political and cultural spheres of the time. The palace was later handed down to Hideyoshi’s nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, but after Hidetsugu’s death by seppuku in 1595, the Jurakudai Palace was dismantled. The Gyobutsu - or treasured items - kept at the palace, including swords, tea utensils, and important works of art, were considered among the most significant items in Hideyoshi’s collection, and this screen, attributed to the master painter Kano Eitoku, was one of them.

Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) was one of the most renowned painters of the Kano School, a dynasty of artists who played a central role in the development of Japanese painting during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His unique style combined the Chinese ink traditions with the richly decorative elements of Yamato-e, the native Japanese aesthetic. Eitoku was not only a leading figure in the courtly art scene but also an official painter (goyoeshi) to both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, two of Japan's most powerful and influential warlords. His work, such as this screen, exemplifies the grandeur and splendor of the period, as well as the influence of Chinese landscape painting, which the Kano School adapted to suit Japanese tastes.

The Hoin (法印) or "Seal of Dharma's Law" inscribed on the label to the back of the screen, was the highest rank awarded to Buddhist artists in Japan, marking the exceptional mastery and the patronage that Eitoku enjoyed from the highest echelons of society, including the Tokugawa shogunate and Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself.

Museum comparison:
Compare a closely related pair of screens depicting cypress trees, by Kano Eitoku, designated a National Treasure, c. 1590, in the Tokyo National Museum, collection reference no. A-1069.

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