Eisetsu Shiratori - Early Spring(早春)

Early Spring" (早春) is an exquisite Nihonga hanging scroll by Eisetsu Shiratori, one of the most distinguished bijin-ga painters of the 20th century. The work depicts an elegant woman in a layered kimono adorned with a delicate botanical pattern of nandina (heavenly bamboo) berries and foliage, with a deep teal-green obi sash. She reaches upward toward a branch of white plum blossoms (ume), a quintessential symbol of early spring in Japanese culture. The woman wears a traditional hairstyle held with kōgai (ornamental hairpin) and a cloth veil (okoso-zukin), evoking the refined femininity of the Edo period while maintaining a distinctly modern sensibility. Shiratori studied under the legendary bijin-ga master Itō Shinsui from 1932, and devoted his life to the pursuit of idealized feminine beauty through the Nihonga tradition. Orphaned as a young child — losing his mother shortly after birth and his father at age eight — Shiratori found solace in Shinsui's paintings of beautiful women, in which he saw the image of the mother he never knew. This deeply personal motivation infused his entire oeuvre with a quality of tender reverence. The present work exemplifies Shiratori's mature style: refined draftsmanship, subtle color harmonies of soft pink, teal green, and gold against a pale ground, and the traditional Nihonga technique of layering mineral pigments on silk. The gofun (shell white) used for the plum blossoms — noted in the condition report as showing some flaking — testifies to the authentic use of traditional materials. The composition balances the figure's graceful vertical pose against the angular thrust of the plum branch, creating a dynamic tension characteristic of the artist's finest bijin-ga works. Shiratori received numerous prestigious accolades during his career, including the Prime Minister's Award at the Nitten exhibition for "Jakushō" (寂照, 1986), and the Imperial Prize and Japan Art Academy Award for "Kikujidō" (菊慈童, 1993). He was appointed a Member of the Japan Art Academy in 1997, and in 1998, his masterwork "Hagoromo" (羽衣) was displayed in the Prime Minister's official residence. His works are permanently housed at the Komoro Kōgen Museum of Art / Shiratori Eisetsu Gallery in his hometown of Komoro, Nagano Prefecture, to which he donated 195 works.

Artist: Eisetsu Shiratori(Japan, 1912−2007)

Year: ca.1950

Medium: Painting

Materials: Hanging scroll; ink and coor on silk

Classification: Unique

Size: (H)81.8cm, (W)65.2cm

Signature: Signed, sealed lower left; with original tomobako (wooden box) inscribed with title and signed by the artist.