Japanese Silk Scroll Appraisal

Framed Antique Japanese Kakejiku (Hanging Scroll) featuring a Waterfall Landscape

This is an antique Japanese hanging scroll (kakejiku) that has been professionally mounted in a modern wooden shadow-box frame. The artwork is a vertical landscape painting (sansui) executed in ink and light colors on silk or high-quality paper. The central theme features a dramatic, ethereal waterfall plunging behind vibrant autumn maple trees in shades of orange and red, with rocky outcrops and smaller cascades in the foreground. The painting is surround by traditional silk brocade mountings (hyogu) consisting of a gold-toned inner border and decorative top and bottom panels (ichimonji/chu-mawashi) featuring classic wave or cloud patterns. Based on the style and execution, this piece likely dates to the late Edo to Meiji periods (19th century). The bottom roller (jiku-gi) remains intact and visible within the frame. The overall condition shows some age-related toning (foxing) and subtle horizontal creasing commensurate with being kept as a rolled scroll for many years. The colors of the autumn foliage remain surprisingly vivid, contrasting against the muted, misty tones of the waterfall, demonstrating high-level brushwork and atmospheric perspective typical of the Nihonga school or earlier Kano-influenced traditions.