A horrifying image of a bloody apparition holding a severed head signed Taizan in gold followed by two stamps (likely an early work by Tatewaki Taizan), the first Suken, the later Taizan. Ink and crimson pigment on silk in a patterned silk border with dark wood rollers. It is 55.5 x 181 cm (21-1/2 x 71 inches) and in excellent condition, completely restored to original condition.
Tatewaki Taizan (1886–1970) was born in 1886 in Hamasaka, Hyōgo Prefecture and demonstrated a fondness for painting from an early age. He studied at the Kyoto City School of Arts and Crafts (now Kyoto City University of Arts), and his graduation work Twilight marked the beginning of a promising career. He later studied under the renowned painter Takeuchi Seihō. In 1916, he was selected for the 10th Bunten exhibition, his first of many showings at official salons including the Bunten and Teiten. Though the precise timing is unclear, he eventually relocated to Kobe, where he exhibited in local shows such as the Wakana-kai Kobe Painting Exhibition. He became a key member of the Kobe Art Association, later the Hyōgo Prefectural Art Association, and emerged as a leading figure in the regional painting community. Following World War II, he succeeded Mori Gesshō as chairman of the Hyōgo Prefecture Nihonga Federation. In 1965, he received the Hyōgo Prefectural Cultural Award. He passed away in 1970 at the age of 84.
