This elegant hand-painted artwork is an original creation from Japan, dating to the Mid-Showa period (1945–1965). Measuring 12 inches by 39 inches (30 cm x 99 cm), this piece was masterfully crafted by a skilled artist in Kyoto’s renowned Nishijin district using paint on thick paper. The artwork remains in very good condition and served as the technical blueprint for a high-end woven obi.

The composition features a sophisticated arrangement of circular medallions set against a rhythmic, all-over pattern of diamond-shaped paulownia (bishi-kiri) crests. Each medallion contains a central, silver-toned lozenge framing a pair of stylized cranes (tsuru) with orange and green feathered wings. The background lattice consists of three-petaled paulownia flowers in a soft, mid-century pastel palette of mint green, pale orange, and lavender. The use of silver paint within the crane motifs provides the necessary guidance for a weaver to incorporate metallic threads into the final silk brocade.

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