Beschreibung:

SHIBATA ZESHIN (1807-1891)Junishi (12 Animals of the East Asian Zodiac) Meiji era (1868–1912), dated circa 1887-1889 An album of twelve small urushi-e paintings, bound in orihon (concertina) style, the blank pages covered in gold-painted paper, the cover of silk brocade woven with dragon roundels on a geometric ground, the zodiac animals depicted in their cyclical order and arranged as one per opening on the left-hand side as follows: 1) A mouse crawling through the bars of a window; signed hachijuichi-o Zeshin (Zeshin, aged 81) with an unidentified seal 2) A herdboy pulling an ox; signed Zeshin and sealed Ze 3) A tiger crossing a ravine; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 4) A rabbit scampering towards fertile stalks of sugina (mare's tail) growing at the foot of a hill; signed hachiju-o Zeshin (Zeshin, aged 80) and sealed Shin 5) A dragon partially concealed within a storm cloud; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 6) A snake and reeds; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 7) A bucking stallion; signed Tairyukyo Zeshin and sealed Shin 8) Two goats besides rocks; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 9) A white macaque with two young; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 10) A cockerel, rooster and two chicks; signed hachijuni Zeshin (Zeshin, aged 82) with an unidentified seal 11) Three plump puppies frolicking besides bamboo; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin 12) A boar running down a snow-covered slope; signed Zeshin and sealed Shin; with a fitted burlwood tomobako inscribed outside Gacho (Album of paintings); signed inside Koma Zeshin; also with silk brocade chitsu (outer wrapper) and a plain wood outer storage box. Overall: 1.7cm × 3.7cm × 6.9cm (5/8in × 1½in × 2¾in); each painting: 5.2cm x 6.4cm × 5.2cm (2in x 2½in). (4).