Lion - Japan - Signed Wada Raikyo (1896-1939)

Very beautiful Japanese painting (hanging scroll) depicting a lion. With the signature and seal of Wada Raikyo (1899-1939) Some minor stains (see photos) due to age. Ends of the scroll in wood. Dimensions: Overall: vertical 193.5 × width 70.6 cm (excluding the ends of the scrolls) Artwork: vertical 132.5 × width 57.4 cm. FER ÷ Wada Raikyo (1896-1939) Japanese painter from Hamada, in Shimane Prefecture, active at the end of the Meiji era and the beginning of the Showa era. He first studied under the local painter Tanaka Raisho, then refined his skills within the Wakaba-kai of Yamauchi Tamon, a group known for encouraging young talents linked to the Imperial Academy of Arts. Raikyo worked on a wide range of subjects - landscapes, flower and bird paintings, figures, and animal motifs such as tigers - combining a delicate brush with a refined sense of atmosphere. His works were regularly selected for major exhibitions, including several entries at the Teiten (Imperial Art Exhibition). Notably, his paintings "Yamaga no Aki" and "Hareyuku Asagiri" were purchased by the Imperial Household Agency, demonstrating the high regard for his art. Although his career was cut short by illness at the age of 43, Wada Raikyo remains recognised as one of the representative painters of the Shimane region in the early 20th century.