Japanese school, early Meiji period, ca. 1872.

Japanese school, early Meiji period, ca. 1872.
"Life in the Village" and "Persimmon Harvest."
A pair of genre scenes.
Gouache and ink on paper.
One of the compositions depicts a Kōshintō stele bearing the inscription “庚申塔” and the date “明治五年 / 壬申 / 四月” (Meiji 5, 1872, fourth month).
They show surface wear consistent with their age.
Measurements: 54 x 82 cm each; 72.5 x 100 cm (frame).

This pair offers a valuable glimpse into everyday Japanese life during the early years of the Meiji era. One scene depicts an urban or suburban setting populated by women, children, and passersby in front of traditional buildings; the second takes place in a rural landscape during the persimmon harvest, with farmers climbing the tree and carrying baskets. In the latter, a Kōshintō stele appears, linked to the popular Kōshin tradition; its inscription includes the 5th year of Meiji (1872), providing a particularly significant chronological reference for the pair.

The meticulousness of the drawing and the attention to clothing, architecture, and daily tasks coexist with a sense of spatial depth and a modeling of the figures that shows clear Western influence. This assimilation of perspective, volume, and shading is characteristic of the intense process of artistic openness during the early Meiji years, when Japanese painters began to incorporate European techniques into traditional subjects and methods.