A large half-moon, once pristinely silver but now darkly oxidized, shines over a deserted field of delicate autumn grasses. Tiny grains of gold in varying sizes are scattered throughout, and are especially dense around the moon. Since the Heian period (794–1185), the moon over an autumn field has been a favorite subject for poetry and painting in Japan, with its stirring imagery of serenity, clarity, and nostalgia. Not only Rinpa artists but also members of the more traditional schools, such as Kano and Tosa, favored this subject during the first half of the seventeenth century; some included the majestic Mount Fuji in their compositions. Here, the moon floating over the field of grasses forms a simple, slightly geometric pattern. The straight lines of tall and flowering grasses on the left screen are arranged in two horizontal rows above and below. The signature on both screens reads “Sōtatsu Hokkyō” (Sotatsu holding the title of Bridge of the Law), and the seals read “Taiseiken.” Both signature and seal are thought to have been used by the master and his studio.
