A stunning, mid-size four-panel byôbu 屏風 (folding screen) by Sagawa Kakoku 佐川華谷 (1867-1946) featuring a vivid painting of fowl in action. It portrays a scene where a cockerel, having just captured a cricket, is in the midst of eating it, while five hens aggressively approach him, each attempting to snatch a piece of his prey. Colour and ink on silk. The panels are surrounded by two silk brocade borders, a thin white one, and a wide soft green one. The upper right corner signed and sealed by the artist. Sagawa Kakoku 佐川華谷, born in Yonesaki village in 1867 (Keio 3). He studied under Matsudaira Sekkô 松平雪江, a former Mito clan member. He later became a student of Nozawa Hakka 野沢白華 of Tatsunokuchi 辰の口 and worked hard on his paintings while serving as an officer in Ibaraki Prefecture. In 1904 (Meiji 37), after the death of his teacher Hakka, he moved to Tokyo and studied under Komuro Suiun 小室翠雲, with whom he also had contact with Araki Jippo 荒木十畝. He was selected for the first time for the 2nd Imperial Art Exhibition 帝国美術展 in 1920, and his selected work was made an Imperial Household Agency article. He continued to exhibit his works at the Imperial Exhibition and the Ibaraki Prefectural Art Exhibition. Period: Japan – Taishô period (1912-1926). Dimensions: Total width 204.4 cm (2 x 52.2 cm, 2 x 50 cm), Height 142.4 cm. The screen is in a very good condition with traces of wear conform age, and some old restorations of the silk border. Water spot in the lower left corner. Please look at the photos for a condition reference. The folding screen is ideal for mounting flat on a wall and presenting as a single work of art. When shipped we will add a certificate of authenticity.