A Master of Chinese Portraiture: The Life and Art of Miwa Zaiei Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1653, Miwa Zaiei emerged during the Edo period—a time of relative peace and flourishing arts. While details surrounding his early life remain scarce, it is known that he dedicated himself to mastering a particularly refined style of painting: Chinese portraiture. This was not merely an exercise in replication; rather, it represented a sophisticated engagement with continental aesthetics deeply valued within Japanese artistic circles. The Edo period witnessed a growing fascination with Song and Yuan dynas…