An original Japanese shikishi (色紙) artwork depicting a nostalgic spring rice-planting scene (春の田植え図), signed 溪山 (Keizan).
The composition captures a traditional rural moment in the Japanese countryside: farmers working together in shallow rice paddies during the planting season. The figures are rendered with light, fluid brushwork and soft washes of blue, green, red, beige, and black, giving the scene a gentle, almost memory-like atmosphere.
One of the most distinctive features is the large straw hat (笠 / kasa) worn by the central worker, painted as a bold circular form that immediately draws the eye. The simplified figures, bundles of rice seedlings, and pale blue water create a lively yet peaceful impression of communal agricultural life.
Rice planting (田植え / taue) is one of the most important seasonal activities in traditional Japanese rural culture. Usually carried out in late spring or early summer, it marks the beginning of the rice-growing cycle and has long been connected with ideas of:
renewal, fertility, cooperation, abundance, and hope for a successful harvest.
Historically, rice planting was not only agricultural work but also a deeply seasonal event, often accompanied by songs, local customs, and communal participation.
Size: 24 x 27cm
