Work presumably by Hokusai found in near mint condition

Art curators and collectors are excited about the discovery of a previously unknown painting believed to be by the renowned ukiyo-e print artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

The portrait has apparently been in the United States for a while.

The discovery of a portrait of a woman under a cherry tree also seems perfectly timely, as sakura have just begun to bloom in Japan.

“The significance of the discovery lies in the fact that the masterpiece was found in such excellent condition,” said Tadashi Kobayashi, an art historian and professor emeritus at Gakushuin University.

The experts are amazed by the almost perfect state in which the painting is found, as if the great master had just finished the work.

Along with the paint used to depict the woman’s kimono, the fragile chalk material used for the cherry blossom petals remains bright and clear.

Unlike many other wall scroll paintings, the portrait was apparently kept in a frame rather than rolled, which could explain how it survived for so long without major damage.

Standing 79.1 centimeters tall and 27.1 cm wide, the piece is signed Hokusai Taito, one of many different names the 19th-century artist gave himself. was active at late Edo Period (1603-1867).

Kobayashi is convinced that the work was painted by the prolific artist in his early 50s in a relatively simple style.

“Hokusai in this period was the leading painter of portraits of beautiful women,” Kobayashi said.

Kobayashi will further discuss the new discovery in the September issue of Kokka art magazine, published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc.