Preparatory sketch

Design for a hanging scroll. This is a variation of the left-hand painting within the triptych (set of three paintings) that Katei presented to the Dowager Empress in 1896. Wild geese were depicted in Chinese painting as early as the fourth century, and the combination with reeds by the shore created a poetic mood. These large-scale scenes of an idealised, harmonious nature were suitable for display in the new imperial palace completed in 1886.