Christie’s rediscovers lost Japanese hanging scroll-painting

KOLKATA: Christie’s has announced the rediscovery of an important Japanese hanging scroll-painting, Jigoku dayu (Hell Courtesan) by the eccentric yet brilliant artist Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-89) (estimate: £300,000-500,000).

Believed lost for over half a century and known only from two black and white images taken in 1911 and 1942, the painting has been found in remarkable condition in a drawer and is being offered from a private collection in the sale of Asobi: Ingenious Creativity & Ceramics from the Bernard Leach Collection at South Kensington on 15 October 2013, during Frieze week.

The auction as a whole comprises approximately 250 lots spanning antiquity to contemporary works. Highlighting the visual appeal, accessibility and relevance of Japanese art to contemporary collecting tastes, this dynamic sale presents a rich and varied array of opportunities for established and new collectors. With estimates ranging from £500 to £500,000, the auction is expected to realise in excess of £2 million.