This striking 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 a bold, modern aesthetic that defines the transitional design era of the early 20th century.

The composition features a rhythmic arrangement of weeping willow branches heavy with dark, plum-colored berries or buds. Set against a deep, midnight-black ground, the elongated, sage-green leaves arch gracefully across the frame, connected by fluid, winding stems. Vertical white lines of varying lengths are interspersed throughout the design, cleverly suggesting a gentle, falling rain or a misty atmosphere. This linear element provides a sharp, graphic contrast to the organic curves of the willow, a characteristic of the burgeoning Art Deco influence on Japanese textiles during this period.

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