Japanese Antique Kakejiku Maruyama-Shijō Style Hanging Scroll Dogs Snow Signed

Japanese Antique Kakejiku Hanging Scroll “Two Dogs in Snow” – Signed Sosen, Maruyama-Shijō Style, Taisho 11 (1922), with Box 

Description
This graceful Japanese hanging scroll (kakejiku), dated Taisho 11 (1922), depicts two dogs beneath a blooming plum tree in a serene snowy landscape. Painted with delicate brushwork and soft natural pigments, it captures a poetic seasonal moment with quiet elegance.

The composition and technique strongly reflect the influence of the Maruyama-Shijō school, known for its blend of natural realism and refined aesthetic sensibility that flourished from the late Edo to early Meiji period.

The piece is signed “Sosen” (蘇川)—an artist not widely documented, but clearly influenced by the Maruyama tradition. Based on the brushwork and compositional style, the artist was likely a regional painter or a follower of the school’s lineage.

Notably, the asymmetrical arrangement—with one dog looking directly outward toward the viewer, and the other turning in a different direction—demonstrates a characteristic compositional technique often seen in animal paintings by Maruyama Ōkyo and his followers. This contrast in gaze and posture imparts a natural rhythm and sense of life to the scene, a hallmark of the school’s expressive realism.

The scroll is elegantly mounted in traditional silk brocade and comes with its original tomobako (wooden storage box), which bears the title 「蘇川 雪中双狗図」(“Sosen – Two Dogs in Snow”).

A superb piece for collectors of Japanese paintings, animal subjects, or early 20th-century art with classical roots.

Features

• Dated: Taisho 11 (1922)

• Antique Japanese hanging scroll (kakejiku) with original wooden box

• Depicts dogs and plum blossoms in a snowy landscape

• Signed: 蘇川 (“Sosen”), likely a regional follower of the Maruyama school

• Asymmetrical composition: one dog gazes at the viewer, the other looks away

• Traditional silk brocade mounting

• Maruyama-Shijō style: poetic realism and compositional grace

Size
Scroll dimensions:
Width: 54.5 cm / approx. 21.5 inches
Length: 204 cm / approx. 80.3 inches

Box dimensions:
62.5 cm × 8 cm × 7.5 cm / approx. 24.6 × 3.1 × 3.0 inches

Condition
Vintage condition with visible stains and signs of age, particularly on the mounting fabric. The artwork remains vibrant and well-preserved.
Please refer to the photos for full details.