This beautiful art is just one section of a pair six folding screens originally painted in 1774 during the Edo Period (1603-1868) of Japan.  Only 50 of these skates were made.

*Artist: Katsu Jagyoku (1735–1780)

Jagyoku painted these screens at forty years of age, and playfully symbolized the sun and moon within his work. Traditionally, rabbits symbolize the moon whereas crows represent the sun. Other than the carefully hand-placed drops representing snow, there is no white paint on this work. It is the color of the paper that gives the illusions of snow and form to the blackbirds, rabbits, and trees.