This masterful hand-painted watercolor is an original and distinctive artwork from Japan, dating to the Late Taisho to Early Showa period (1920–1940). Measuring 23 inches by 16 inches (58 cm x 41 cm), this piece was meticulously created to serve as a high-fidelity template for yūzen resist-dye work on a silk kimono. The artwork remains in very good condition and demonstrates a highly specialized "pointillist" stippling technique, where complex forms are built entirely from minute, controlled dots of pigment to mimic the texture of fine embroidery or tie-dye.
The composition is set against a deep charcoal-black ground, featuring a geometric framework of large diamond panels. These panels are filled with a variety of intricate motifs: some contain stylized four-petaled floral crests rendered in crisp white stippling, while others showcase more naturalistic elements. A vibrant butterfly with teal and orange wings and a perched bird with rust-colored feathers add a spirited, organic energy to the structured layout. The background areas between the primary diamonds are filled with dense, radiating lines of yellow and white dots, creating an optical shimmer that suggests the play of light across a woven textile.