Until 31st Dec, 2025
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WATANABE SEITEI: EGRET AND MOON
Lot 340 - JPN0625
By Watanabe Seitei (1851-1918), signed Seitei itsjuin with seal Seitei
Japan, late 19th- early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)
Ink and watercolors on silk. Mounted within a silk brocade frame with wooden handles. Finely painted to depict an egret standing on one leg on a pine tree, its other foot pulled close to the body, a full moon to the back.
Inscriptions: To the bottom left, signed Seitei itsujin [Seitei, the recluse/retired] with seal Seitei.
Image SIZE 135 x 50.5 cm, SIZE incl. mounting 197.5 x 65 cm
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and minimal staining.
With a wood tomobako (storage box).
Watanabe Seitei (1851-1918) was a Nihonga painter and one of the first to visit Europe, attending the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris and being awarded a medal. Seitei blended Western realism with the delicate colors and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, introducing a new approach to kachoga (bird-and-flower painting). On his return from Europe, Seitei created designs for ceramics and cloisonné, working with the cloisonné artist Namikawa Sosuke (1847–1910), leading to acclaim from abroad. See a cloisonné-enamel tray, by Namikawa Sosuke, after a design by Watanabe Seitei, at Bonhams, Asian Charm and Flair, 2 February 2025, Massachusetts, lot 77 (sold for USD 17,920).
Museum comparison:
For a related hanging scroll depicting a night heron and willow with crescent moon, by Watanabe Seitei, circa 1900, see Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.2010.3.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related painting depicting a June egret, by Watanabe Seitei, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 29 March 2005, New York, lot 263 (sold for USD 5,040 or approx. EUR 7,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).
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