Painting in sumi ink, mineral pigments and touches of gold on silk mounted as a hanging scroll, depicting a crested myna bird on a chozubachi or stone water basin beneath an arbored plum tree. Signed and sealed by the artist: Ryoko (Kaneshige Ryoko, the go or art name of Kaneshige Kinichi, 1895 – 1967). Early Showa era, circa 1929.

Titled: Ao Ume or Green Plums, this painting was acquired directly from the painter by the wealthy art patron and collector Hosokawka Rikizo. Along with the rest of his painting collection it entered the Meguro Gajoen Museum Collection after the War, from which it was acquired by Kagedo in 2003.

Kaneshige Ryoko, exhibited a very similar painting mounted as a two panel screen at the 10th Teiten in 1929, and it is illustrated in the Nittenshi, volume 9, page 109, number 91, and in Kagedo’s catalogue Light Through Clouds, number 39. This screen was also in the collection of the Meguro Gajoen Museum.

Kaneshige Ryoko was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and studied painting under Matsubayashi Keigetsu. Accepted to the Teiten in 1929 with his painting Ume Minioru Koro or The Time of Ripening Plum, Kaneshige also exhibited at the 2nd Shotokutaishii Hosan Art Exhibition in 1930. After the War, Kaneshige returned to Yamaguchi Prefecture to become an art teacher and opened the painting school known as Kozan Gajuku. He was recognized by the government as a major contributor to art in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1966. Kaneshige Ryoko died August 22, 1967 at the age of 65.