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" style, where complex forms are built entirely from minute, controlled dots of pigment.

The composition is set against a deep black ground, which provides a dramatic stage for the luminous, mythical imagery. It features two majestic phoenixes (hō-ō) in flight, their bodies and sweeping tail feathers rendered in gradients of lime green, golden yellow, and earthy ochre. Intertwined with the celestial birds are large paulownia leaves and blossoms (kiri), depicted in muted violet and lavender tones. The artist has utilized dense white and colored stippling to create a shimmering, ethereal effect that mimics the appearance of intricate shibori (tie-dye) or fine embroidery, a testament to the technical precision required for pre-war textile designs.

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