Iris rise majestically on this mid-century Nihonga painting by Sawa Kojin enclosed in the orignla signed wooden box encased in a red lacquered Niju-bako (double wood box). Pigment on silk in a silk border, it is in overall fine condition.
Sawa Kojin (1905-1982) was born in Nagahama, Shiga prefecture to purveyors of western objects. In 1920 he entered the studio of Nishiyama Suisho. Aiming for the bright lights and opportunities he moved to Tokyo in 1924, however disenchanted with Tokyo he returned to Kyoto and Suisho in 1927. He was first accepted into the Teiten (mod. Nitten) in 1931. He was married to the artist Akino Fuku in 1932, and together would have six children, before their divorce in 1957. After the war along with Uemura Shoko established the Soga-kai group seeking to establish a progressive “Nihonga”.
