Japanese Hanging Scroll Hand Painted 'Four Seasons Flowers' KAKEJIKU By Aoyama MB728
This is a Japanese hanging scroll painting by Aoyama Hoyu (青山芳友), titled “Shiki Kusabana, Kacho-zu” (四季草花、花鳥図 / Four Seasons Flowers and Bird).
The work is hand-painted on silk and presents a refined arrangement of seasonal flowers together with a small bird perched on a flowering branch. Rather than depicting a single moment in one season, the composition brings together flowers associated with different times of the year, creating a decorative image of the changing seasons within one vertical scene.
At the center is a large peony, painted with soft white and pale pink petals and a vivid red-and-yellow center. Around it appear chrysanthemums, iris, narcissus-like white blossoms, plum blossoms, red berries, and other seasonal plants. The flowers are carefully balanced from the lower foreground upward, while branches extend diagonally across the upper section to guide the eye through the composition.
A small green-backed bird rests on the flowering branch near the top, introducing a quiet kacho-ga, or flower-and-bird painting, element. Its restrained presence contrasts with the abundance of flowers and gives the work a calm, natural atmosphere.
The painting uses a delicate palette of pale pink, white, green, red, violet, and gold-toned beige. Fine brushwork is visible in the flower petals, leaves, stems, and bird feathers, while the background is kept open and uncluttered so the individual motifs remain clearly defined. The result is elegant and decorative without appearing overly dense.
The subject of seasonal flowers is deeply rooted in Japanese painting, where individual plants often carry associations with beauty, transience, refinement, longevity, and the passing of time. The peony is traditionally admired for its luxurious beauty, plum blossoms for endurance and renewal, chrysanthemums for longevity, and iris for seasonal elegance.
The lower right bears the artist’s signature and seal. The scroll is mounted in a restrained gold-brown textile that complements the warm silk ground and helps frame the colorful botanical imagery.
Artist
Aoyama Hoyu (青山芳友)
Born in 1948 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Aoyama Hoyu is a Japanese-style painter associated with traditional Nihonga. His works often feature seasonal flowers, birds, and other classical natural motifs, combining careful observation with a decorative and balanced composition.
Size
Overall Height: Approx. 189.5 cm / 74.61 in
Overall Width: Approx. 52 cm / 20.47 in
Artwork Height: Approx. 107.8 cm / 42.44 in
Artwork Width: Approx. 39.9 cm / 15.71 in
Total Weight
Approx. 387 g / 0.85 lb
Condition
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