This striking hand-painted watercolor is an original and distinctive artwork from Japan, dating to the Late Taisho to Early Showa period (1920–1940). Measuring 17 inches by 12 inches (43 cm x 30 cm), this piece was meticulously crafted for the purpose of transposing its design to yūzen resist-dye work on a silk kimono. The artwork remains in very good condition, showcasing a bold and graphic "Taisho Roman" aesthetic that playfully juxtaposes traditional votive imagery with modernist geometric patterns.

The composition is set against a large-scale checkerboard (ichimatsu) background in contrasting shades of brick red and slate blue. Scattered across this structured ground are several stylized Ema (votive wooden plaques), each rendered in deep purple with light pink roof-like borders. Each plaque contains a different narrative or symbolic scene: one features a seated woman in traditional dress, another displays calligraphic characters within circular motifs, and a third depicts falling maple leaves. The flat, saturated planes of color and the sharp, clean lines are indicative of a technical yūzen blueprint, designed to be replicated through precise resist-pasting and dyeing.

This artwork is featured on page 162 of Art Kimono: Aesthetic Revelations of Japan, 1905-1960. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

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