Chiura Obata (Japanese/American, 1885-1975), "Deer Dance (Folk Dance), Scare Crow, Northeastern Prefecture, Japan," circa 1960, watercolor, gouache, and gold leaf on silk, signed and stamped lower left, original handwritten label affixed verso, image: 33.5"h x 21"w, overall (with frame): 46"h x 30"w. Note: This large painting on silk is notable for Obata's use of an unusual "gold dust" effect, thought to have been used on only one other painting created when he was still in Japan. In addition, the masks of the dancers are painted with a very thick paint which creates a three-dimensional effect that appears almost quilted. A similar portrayal of a human figure is in the holdings of the Crocker Art Museum.

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