Two-leaf folding screen, Japan, early Edo period (1603-1868) Ink, pigments, gold and silver powder, silver and copper leaf on paper decorated with lush, varied vegetation including peonies, varieties of chrysanthemums and pine shoots at the foot of a plum tree in blossom and a grove of bamboo. The three winter friends - bamboo, plum and pine - embody the virtues of perseverance, integrity and modesty, as well as the promise of longevity, while the peony symbolizes courage and good fortune. On one of the lacquered wooden uprights, a glued label with the inscription Tawaraya shiki kusabana no zu - 俵屋四季草花之図 - "Tawaraya, plants and flowers of the four seasons". Another label on the reverse of the screen with the inscription Tawaraya Inen hitsu - 俵屋伊年筆 - "painted by Tawaraya Inen". Paper back, black lacquered wood uprights. 170 x 190 cm Unsigned, tears, stains, repairs. Broken frame end. Inen is the go or artist's name of Tawaraya Sôtatsu, a famous painter of the early Edo period, precursor of the Rimpa school. We can deduce from these labels that this screen was attributed in Japan to Tawaraya Sôtatsu.