This striking hand-painted artwork is an original and unique creation from Japan, dating to the Mid-Showa period (1945–1965). Measuring 12 inches by 30 inches (30 cm x 76 cm), this piece was masterfully crafted by a Japanese artist in Kyoto’s renowned Nishijin district using paint on thick paper. While the piece exhibits some minor paint cracking consistent with its age, it remains in very good condition and served as the essential technical template for a high-end woven obi.

The composition features a magnificent, stylized phoenix (hō-ō) with a dramatic, sweeping wing that fills the majority of the vertical field. Set against a deep, midnight-black ground, the bird’s plumage is rendered in a vivid, kaleidoscopic "rainbow" sequence of saturated bands, including crimson, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The primary wing is bordered by a row of delicate, white-dotted circles, while the bird’s body is detailed with earthy, layered scalloped feathers. In the background, secondary feathers are delicately outlined in gold-toned paint, providing a complex guide for the intricate silk and metallic thread weaving of the Nishijin looms.

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