WWII Imperial Japanese Army Sino-Japanese War Battle Scroll 1939 Color For Sale

DescriptionThis is a large Japanese hanging scroll depicting an Imperial Japanese Army combat scene from the Second Sino-Japanese War.The work is dated to Showa 14 (1939) and includes handwritten inscriptions that appear to reference:“Sino-Japanese Incident”
“December 15, 1939”
“Winter Offensive Operation”Some of the remaining handwritten characters are difficult to read with certainty, so no specific unit or commander is being definitively identified.The painting shows Japanese soldiers advancing through rugged terrain with rifles and fixed bayonets. One soldier carries the Japanese flag, while others move forward through rocks and vegetation.The lower part of the composition is especially striking.A soldier appears to be helping or tending to a fallen comrade while the rest of the unit continues to advance. This makes the work more than a simple heroic charge scene. It also preserves a visual representation of injury, battlefield aid, and the human side of combat.A Wartime Scene in Traditional Japanese FormatWhat makes this piece particularly interesting is the contrast between subject and format.Modern soldiers, rifles, bayonets, steel helmets, and battlefield movement are depicted in the traditional form of a Japanese hanging scroll.The mountain landscape is rendered with ink and light color, while the soldiers are integrated into the composition in a style that combines traditional Japanese painting with modern wartime imagery.It is a compelling example of how war was represented visually in Japan during the late 1930s.The scroll was previously described in Japan as “mosha”, meaning that authorship or authenticity as a work by a specific named artist is not guaranteed. A seal is visible on the painting, but the exact artist has not been conclusively identified.For this reason, the piece is best appreciated as a wartime Japanese battle painting and historical visual document, rather than as an authenticated work by a known artist.Approximate size:Overall: 196 x 65.5 cm
Painting area: 132.5 x 54 cmPlease review the photographs carefully for condition and age-related wear.A fascinating piece for collectors of Japanese militaria, Imperial Japanese Army history, Sino-Japanese War material, wartime art, military paintings, and Japanese hanging scrolls.A visual record of the battlefield atmosphere of the winter of 1939.Own a Piece of History.Shipping

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