The silhouette of a crow hunched on the leafless branches of a dead tree under the full moon by Shoji Chikushin enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gekka Tori no Zu. Ink on silk in a pale cloth border with ivory rollers (these will be changed for export). The scroll is 48 x 193 cm (19 x 76 inches) and is in overall excellent condition.
Shoji Chikushin (1854-1936) was a student of the great lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin. Born Suzushiro (餘四郎) in Asakusa, Edo, Chikushin studied under the renowned lacquer master Shibata Zeshin, initially training in maki-e. Though counted among the “Ten Disciples of Zeshin,” he eventually turned his focus to Nihonga (Japanese painting), where his talents flourished. He exhibited at several major national expositions, receiving commendations for works including Boat Under the Moon (1877) and Summer Landscape (1895). A central figure in the formation of the Japan Youth Painting Association, he mentored younger artists such as Shibata Shinsai, and served as a juror in early exhibitions. Active also in the Japan Art Association, Imperial Art Association, and Tatsumi Painting Society, Chikushin played a vital role in the evolution of Meiji-era Japanese painting.
