Japan, 19^th century. Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted as a hanging scroll, on a silk brocade frame with wooden handles. Vividly painted with a pair of eagles, one cleaning its talon as the other, perched on a plum branch, looks on, the landscape with peony blossoms and a gushing stream.

Inscriptions: To the left edge, signed ‘Sesshu matsuyo ...chusai Yoshi ga’ 雪舟末葉O中斎容之画 (‘Painted by Yoshi, a descendant of the Sesshu Toyo school’). Two seals, ‘Yoshi no in’ 容之之印 (‘The seal of Yoshi’) and ‘Tokei’ 等谿 (等渓). The box is inscribed with the dating ‘4th month of Meiji 6’ (corresponding to 1873). The box inscription (hakogaki) says "This scroll was given to a man who lived in Doma area of Sekishu Province (modern Shimane Prefecture). The person who inscribed this lived in Tanshu (Tajima), which is in modern Hyogo Prefecture near Kyoto. The white label on the box lid mentions Sesshu of Sesshu Toyo, the father of Unkoku School.

Condition: Very good condition with traces of wear, and minor stains, some slight touch-ups to the background, not the imagery. The brocade frame with expected wear and traces of age.

Dimensions: Image size 120.5 x 54.2 cm, Size incl. mounting 212 x 68 cm

With an inscribed tomobako storage box. (2)

Unkoku Toryu (1804-1895) was a prominent painter during the Edo period. He founded his own school, the Unkoku School of painting, establishing his school’s style in Chugoku and the northern Kyushu region. He painted landscapes in Indian ink in the tradition of Sesshu, proclaiming his school to be the Sesshu’s direct successor. Among his pupils were the renowned Tooku Unkoku who served Terumoto Mori, Toeki Unkoku, and Toji Unkoku.

The Sesshu School, founded by Sesshu Toyo, is renowned for its distinctive approach to ink painting. Influenced by Chinese art, the school emphasizes monochrome ink (sumi-e) and bold brushwork. Sesshū, a Zen Buddhist monk and acclaimed artist, incorporated techniques from Chinese painting traditions like the Southern Song and Yuan dynasty literati styles. His landscapes are celebrated for dynamic compositions and expressive ink techniques, capturing nature's essence with simplicity and power. Sesshū's teachings and artistic philosophy passed down through generations, significantly shaping Japanese ink painting during the Muromachi period and leaving an enduring legacy in Japanese art.