Chrysanthemums by a Stream, c. 1715-30 or later. Possibly by Ogata Kōrin (Japanese, 1658-1716). Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on gilded paper; overall: 163.2 x 369.9 cm (64 1/4 x 145 5/8 in.). These screens recall a painting style so closely identified with Ogata Krin (1658-1716) that it is called Rinpa, or “Rin School,” after the ideograph “rin” in his name. The highly stylized background accentuates floral groupings that have been groomed so as to appear utterly artificial, like the synthetic arrangements available today. Krin's genius derived in large measure from natural phenomena painstakingly observed and then manipulated to create compositions of startling refinement and sparkling isolation. This process may have grown out of Krin's early immersion in the family textile business, a medium that encourages such dramatic distillations of form: the stream's gold-crested waves bring to mind traditional kimono robe designs of Krin's era. Works with the signatur