Attributed to Kano Shoei (1519-1592), Birds and Flowers of the Four SeasonsLarge six panel screen, ink, gold and colour on paper, with a jar-shaped seal attributed to Kano Shoei in red ink to the bottom right; depicting two cranes and about a dozen smaller birds by a riverside populated by lichen-encrusted pine, willow, bamboo, and flower blossoms, set against a background of gold clouds, each panel 68.3 x 24 in — 173.5 x 61 cmProvenance:Collection of Dr. William LeRoy Dunn (1871-1928), thence by descent within the family.William LeRoy Dunn practiced internal medicine after settling in Asheville, North Carolina, and was an active researcher of tuberculosis, as Director and Executive Committeeman of the National Tuberculosis Association. Dr. Dunn also spent time in Washington, Italy, and elsewhere with his work.The current screen was gifted to Dr. Dunn by a Japanese diplomat, whom he met through his research and connected with over a shared military military background.Note:Kano Shoei (1519-1592) was the third generation from the Kano family of painters, inheriting the title from his father Motonobu (1476-1559) and grandfather Masanobu (1434-1530). As one of the most famous school of painting, the Kano style of painting was dominant from the late 15th century until the start of the Meiji Period in the mid 19th century. A total of forty-six restored panels painted by Shoei and his son Eitoku (1551-1601) are famously displayed in the Juko-in temple in Daitoku-ji, Kyoto.The screen labeled on the back (erroneously) as 'Unkoku Toeki (1591-1664) Gold-Ground Four Seasons Birds and Flowers Six... 1660' 雲谷等益金地四李花鳥六。。。1660Compare with examples at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, accession numbers 83.183.1 and 83.183.2; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1987.342.1; and Bonhams San Francisco, March 4, 2014, lot 1012Estimate: $3,000—5,000