Ito Jakuchu’s Forgotten Picture Scroll Discovered, Going on Display at Art Museum in Kyoto in October

Yomiuri Shimbun photos
Top: “Kaso Zukan” (detail) by Ito Jakuchu
Bottom: The full length of the picture scroll “Kaso Zukan”

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:38 JST, March 6, 2024

A forgotten picture scroll by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), which colorfully depicts fruits and vegetables, was discovered, Fukuda Art Museum in Kyoto said on Tuesday.

Jakuchu produced masterpiece paintings in the middle years of the Edo period (1603-1867).

It is believed that the artist created the picture scroll measuring about 0.3 meters tall and about 2.8 meters wide in 1791.

According to a specialist, the work should be valuable for evaluating Jakuchu’s artistic output because there are only a few colored paintings in the later years of his career.

Jakuchu painted about 40 kinds of fruits and vegetables on the scroll, such as pears and a chili pepper. The museum has named the work as “Kaso Zukan” (illustrated guide to edible fruits and vegetables) and will exhibit the work to the public at an exhibition from October.