This charming hand-painted artwork is an original creation from Japan, dating to the second half of the 19th century. Measuring 11 inches by 12 inches (27.94 cm x 30.48 cm), the piece is rendered in delicate watercolor and ink on paper. This artwork is a quintessential example of Meiji-period genre painting, which often combined auspicious botanical motifs with playful scenes of daily life. While the paper bears a visible bookworm long hole, a testament to its long history and authentic studio provenance, the pigments remain remarkably fresh.

The composition depicts three young children (karako) dressed in traditional patterned robes, engaged in a lively game beneath a flowering tree. To the right, a magnificent peony (botan) in full bloom is rendered with soft pink washes and vibrant yellow centers, emerging from a weathered rock. Above them, a slender tree branch carries delicate pink blossoms and white magnolia-like flowers, where small butterflies flutter. The children are captured in mid-motion—one reaching upward, another holding a toy or instrument—using fine ink outlines and festive splashes of red and indigo. The use of ample negative space and a light-handed application of color creates a whimsical, airy atmosphere typical of 19th-century Japanese narrative illustrations.

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