This striking hand-painted watercolor is an original and distinct artwork from Japan, dating to the Late Taisho to Early Showa period (1920–1940). Measuring 32 inches by 11 inches (81 cm x 28 cm), this large-scale piece was specifically crafted by a Japanese artist to serve as a high-fidelity blueprint for yuzen resist-dye work on a silk kimono. The artwork remains in very good condition, showcasing the bold geometric abstraction and sophisticated tonal play that defined pre-war textile modernism.
The composition is set against a deep, muted plum-purple ground, organized around a rhythmic series of large, stylized floral blocks. These rectangular "windows" contain radiating, petal-like lines in a soft lavender-grey, suggesting the abstracted form of a chrysanthemum (kiku). Floating across this structured field are three dramatic maple leaves (momiji); two are rendered in a deep, solid forest green, while the central leaf is intricately detailed with a white kanoko (dappled) pattern, creating a point of brilliant textural contrast. The elongated vertical format allowed the artist to demonstrate how the pattern would gracefully repeat and flow along the length of a finished garment.