Pair of Japanese Six-Panel Screens (Byōbu 屏風) Signed: Kano school; signed “Jitekisai hitsu” (自適斎筆, gō of Kano Naonobu) Artist: Kano Jiyūsai (Kano school) Period: Late Edo period, circa 1800–1850 Medium: Ink on gold-leaf paper (sumi on kinpaku) Dimensions: Each screen 145 cm high × 360 cm wide (6 panels, each approx. 60 cm wide) Origin: Japan An elegant and finely balanced pair of six-panel folding screens (byōbu) painted in ink on gold-leaf paper, signed Jitekisai hitsu (自適斎筆)—the gō (art name) of Kano Naonobu—from the distinguished Kano school, active in the Edo period (most likely late Edo, c. 1800–1850). Each screen presents a tranquil winter landscape rendered in the refined monochrome idiom favored by literati painters of the 18th and 19th centuries. Executed with exquisite restraint and poetic sensitivity, the composition unfolds across the panels as a continuous scene of mountains, rivers, and solitary figures immersed in quiet contemplation. One screen depicts a scholar seated within a rustic hut, absorbed in study while snow-covered pines and gentle slopes extend into the distance. The companion screen shows a fisherman and traveler crossing a river, their small figures harmoniously integrated within the vast, mist-filled landscape. The gold-leaf ground provides a subtle luminosity, evoking shifting light and atmosphere while enhancing the delicate washes of ink. The masterful use of empty space, the rhythmic balance of forms, and the nuanced tonal transitions reflect the aesthetic ideals of the Kano atelier, which supplied paintings to the Tokugawa shogunate and the aristocratic elite. Signed and sealed “Jitekisai hitsu,” this pair exemplifies the enduring sophistication of Edo-period screen painting—combining classical Chinese literati influence with the decorative sensibility of Japanese court art. Condition: Both screens are in good original condition with minor age wear and surface toning consistent with age. Gold-leaf ground intact and luminous; hinges stable; lacquered frames with minimal restoration. Provenance: German private collection. References: -Compare similar Kano-school ink landscapes: -Tokyo National Museum, Kano Tan’yū (1602–1674) and followers. -Kyoto National Museum, “Ink Landscapes on Gold Ground,” Edo period. -Roberts, Laurance P. A Dictionary of Japanese Artists, New York, 1976. Notes: The pair format of these screens—one evoking scholarly reclusion, the other quiet travel—embodies the dual ideals of contemplation and action central to Edo-period philosophy. Rare as a complete and signed set, these screens offer both art-historical significance and timeless decorative beauty, suitable for either private interiors or museum-level collections.