vintage japanese shikishi print : kikujido

kikujido by Arai Kampo (1878-1945), depicts a servant of King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty, said to have gained immortality by drinking the dew dripping from chrysanthemum leaves... Gazing at this whimsical composition might at least bring you a little lift!

Yokoyama Taikan was a leading figure in the early twentieth century Japanese art world, and this print is from a collection of reproductions of original Japanese artworks presented to him for his 60th birthday, in 1928. What an incredible gift!

Printed on shikishi board - a traditional Japanese art material with subtle flecking and a bevelled edge in gold - these works may be framed or propped, and look spectacular in pairs or as a triptych.