This vibrant hand-painted watercolor is an original and distinctive artwork from Japan, dating to the late Taisho to early Showa period (1920–1940). Created by a professional textile artist, this piece served as a precise design template for the yuzen resist-dyeing technique, a method celebrated for its ability to produce painterly, multi-colored imagery on silk kimono. Measuring 9 inches by 17 inches (23 cm x 43 cm), the work remains in very good condition, showcasing the bold color palettes and graphic sensibilities that define the transition toward modernism in early 20th-century Japanese fashion.

The composition features a majestic phoenix (ho-o) with a curved beak and expressive crest, its body rendered in warm ochre scales and its wings displaying intricate white and dark plum feathering. The bird is set amidst a lush, stylized garden of tropical-inspired flora, including a large, sun-like flower with radiating orange petals and clusters of berries in amber and dark ink. Boldly veined leaves in plum, sage green, and golden-yellow swirl across the mint-green ground, connected by fluid, arching blue vines. Every element is defined by crisp, white outlines—a technical necessity for the yuzen dyer to maintain clear color separation during the resist-dyeing process.

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