Scroll (378 x 7280 mm.), inner wooden core roller. [Japan]: late Edo or early Meiji.

It is difficult to express the beauty and detail of this scroll, which celebrates the seasonal landscapes of Kobe in the mid- to late Edo era, well before it became an industrial city in the 20th century. The artist was a highly accomplished observer, using vivid colors and a liberal use of perspective to portray the views. We do not find any similar scrolls. The most significant geographical points and landmarks are named on small slips of decorated paper with manuscript characters pasted adjacent. At... More