Three picture scrolls (emakimono) on fine paper, with a series of exquisite paintings in vivid...
Japan: mid-Edo.
These beautifully drawn paintings are in the karako (Chinese children) tradition of painting which was prevalent in Japan, starting in the early Edo period. Karako is a term for a certain kind of pictorial art with the constant theme of children dressed in Chinese clothing, with their hair in Chinese style with partially shaved heads.
These scrolls are painted with the highest skill and nuance. The details are beautifully executed in rich colors, many are heightened in gold, and have magnificent nuances of shading and detail. We have been unable to identify the artist but he must have... More