Taisei Sato - Higo Camellia (肥後椿)

This luminous depiction of Higo Tsubaki, the celebrated single-petaled camellia variety from the Higo (Kumamoto) region of southern Japan, showcases Sato Taisei's mastery of the traditional Nihonga technique. Renowned for fusing bird-and-flower painting with landscape into his own distinctive 'kacho-fukei-ga' style, Taisei rendered the white blossoms with delicate mineral pigments on Japanese paper, allowing each gauzy petal and golden stamen cluster to glow against the deep emerald foliage. Bold scarlet accents echo the proud, restrained spirit of Higo culture. Decorated with the Order of Culture (1992) and honored as a Person of Cultural Merit (1988), Sato Taisei is regarded as one of the giants of postwar Japanese painting. Works of his late period, when he returned repeatedly to the camellia motif and his masterwork 'Yuki Tsubaki' (Snow Camellia, 1994), are especially prized among collectors.

Artist: Taisei Sato (Japan, 1913-2004)

Year: 1913-2004

Medium: Painting

Materials: Mineral pigments on Japanese paper (Nihonga)

Classification: Unique

Size: (H)41.3cm, (W)53.3cm. Framed: (H)61.5cm, (W)73.5cm, (D)5.5cm

Signature: Brush signature 'Taisei' and red artist's seal at lower right. Artist-inscribed title and seal label affixed to frame backing.