A pair of screen paintings by 18th century painter Ito Jakuchu found in at a residence in the Hokuriku region will be shown by a private museum in Shiga Prefecture next fall, a museum official said Saturday.
The Edo period folding screens, which are 159 cm high and 354 cm wide each side, contrast a white elephant sitting on the water's edge on one screen and a black whale spouting water on the other.
The work, which had been stored in the barn of the old home, was found by an art specialist.
The screen painting were authenticated by Nobuo Tsuji, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo who is also the curator of the Miho Museum in Koka, Shiga Prefecture.
The work is thought to be from Ito's later years (1716-1800) and was probably painted when he was around 80 years old. The presence of the waves and the elephant, as well as a unique signature he used in his later years, were cited as factors in authenticating the work.