Japanese Showa Four-Panel Screen Autumn Landscape Rooster & Hen

A beautifully rendered Japanese Showa period four-panel folding byōbu screen in the Nihonga school style. The painting depicts a quiet pastoral scene of a pair of chickens gathered along a gently meandering stream. Hand-painted with natural mineral pigments over a dramatic gold-leaf square ground. The painting is mounted in an ebonized black lacquered wood frame with a traditional silk brocade border. The composition unfolds with a soft, natural rhythm—tall grasses and delicate foliage giving way to a serene waterway, where two birds forage and pause in a moment of stillness.

Executed with the refined restraint characteristic of the Nihonga tradition, the work emphasizes harmony between subject and space. Mineral pigments, gold-leaf, and subtle tonal shifts create a warm, luminous ground, allowing the scene to feel both grounded and atmospheric. A rooster and hen—an uncommon and quietly charming motif—are rendered with careful attention to form and texture, offering a sense of intimacy within the broader landscape. Unsigned. 

Balancing movement, the composition invites the eye to travel slowly across each panel, following with the gentle curve of the stream. The scene includes pampas grass and delicate blooming flowers on the banks. The palette—soft golds, earth tones, and muted greens—lends a serene, timeless quality, equally suited to traditional or contemporary interiors. The painting has a lovely aged patina with older repairs commensurate age and use. From an estate in San Francisco, CA.

Dimensions: 68"w x .5"d x 44.25"h

Circa: 20th Century, Japan

Materials: Gold Leaf, Paper, Silk, Wood    

Condition: Distressed, minor wear consistent with age and use. Beautifully crafted with solid joinery and construction. The painting shows well having an aged patina with minor fading. Age appropriate wear with scuffs, scratches, losses, and small old repairs as seen in photos.