Namikawa Sosuke had pioneered a pictorial style of cloisonné enamelling as early as 1881, when his panels for the Second Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (National Industrial Exposition) were exhibited in the Art section, in contrast to the work of other cloisonné workshops, which were confined to the Industrial section. He would often look to ink paintings for inspiration, as here, in collaboration with Watanabe Seitei (1851-1918). In 1986, Sosuke became an Imperial Craftsman together with Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927), no relation.

Watanabe Seitei (1851-1918) first studied under Kikuchi Yosai (1788-1878), after which he spent a brief time in the studio of the painter and lacquer artist, Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891). In 1878 he travelled in the United States and Europe, remaining in Paris for three years and becoming the first Nihonga (modern Japanese-style painting) artist to live in Europe with the aim of studying Western painting. On his return from Europe, Setei created designs for ceramics and cloisonné, working with the cloisonné artist Namikawa Sosuke, leading to acclaim from abroad.