The front features a lustrous peony, and on the back a brave Chinese lion is poised to leap out at any moment.
The Chinese lion, a fantasy animal introduced from China, is known for its mysterious appearance, with a large amount of wavy flame-like hair covering both sides of the head, neck, and tail, and several patterns scattered across the body and limbs.
This work is based on a sliding screen painting from the early Azuchi-Momoyama period. It imitates the Chinese lion depicted on the Jin'ya folding screen painted by Kano Eitoku, which was presented to Mori Terumoto as proof of the peace treaty hastily concluded at Takamatsu Castle in 1582 when Hideyoshi returned to Kinai after hearing of the Honnoji Incident.
The lion's appearance is recreated using a technique of inlaying silver wire to make it stand out, and the peony is decorated with gold and silver cloth inlay, creating a work with a gorgeous and unique expression using two different techniques.
