Art curators and collectors are buzzing over the discovery of a previously unknown painting believed to be by renowned ukiyo-e woodblock artist Katsushika Hokusai 1760 -- 1849. The portrait has been apparently in the United States for a while.
The discovery of a portrait of a woman under a cherry tree seems perfectly timed, 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 at Gakushuin University.
Experts are amazed at the nearly perfect condition the painting is in, as if the great master 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.
The portrait has apparently been kept in a frame rather than rolled up, which could explain how it survived for so long without major damage.
The piece is signed Hokusai Taito, one of many different names the 19th century artist called himself, as it measures 79.1 centimeters high and 27.1 cm wide. Kobayashi was active in the late Edo period 1603 -- 1867, and he is convinced that the work was painted by the prolific artist in his early 50 s in a straight-forward style.
In this period, Hokusai was the leading painter of portraits of beautiful women, said Kobayashi.