Pine Tree (obverse); Landscape (reverse)

Art Historical Context

This striking two-panel folding screen, created by an artist of the Kano School during Japan’s Edo period, exemplifies the refined decorative arts that flourished under the Tokugawa shogunate. The Kano School, long favored by samurai patrons, blended Chinese-inspired ink techniques with vibrant Japanese aesthetics, often employing gold leaf to evoke luminosity and grandeur in interior spaces. Here, the obverse presents a majestic pine tree rendered in ink, color, and gold on paper—a symbol of longevity and steadfastness—while the reverse offers a quieter landscape with buildings, inviting view...