Ascending Carp

Name: Ascending Carp
Brand: Shida Kansui
SKU: 10660
Price: 290.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, 166 x 44 cm

Product number: 10660

Height 166 cm
Width 44 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Wood
Material Honshi Silk
Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes

Signature / Stamp:

Shida Kansui

€290.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

With powerful momentum, a large blackish-gray carp breaks from the water, its body stretched diagonally across the picture plane, its head directed upward. The individually rendered scales are worked out with remarkable care, the bright yellow eye setting a vivid accent within the fish's dark head. In the lower part of the picture, delicate blue wave motifs suggest the water's surface from which the creature bursts forth – a depiction full of dynamism and energy.

The ascending carp is among the most meaningful motifs in East Asian painting. It is regarded as a symbol of endurance, strength, and the will to overcome obstacles – a symbolism that remains alive in Japanese cultural life to this day. The effect of the painting draws on a deliberate contrast: the dark, plastically rendered creature set against the wide, light background.

The painting bears the signature and seal of Shida Kansui and was created in the Showa period. Painted on silk and mounted in a subdued framing with a light blue brocade stripe, this hand-painted unique work is an impressive example of traditional Japanese animal painting.

Frequently asked

Does this work carry a seal or signature?

Yes, this piece carries the signature or seal of Shida Kansui

When was the work created?

Based on the previous owners' information and the condition of the object we place it broadly in the Shôwa (1926–1989) period, but cannot give a precise date.

Is this genuine craftsmanship?

Yes, this piece is a genuine handcrafted original that exists only once.

Why does the date of creation sometimes not match the artist's dates

Because the two pieces of information speak about different things: the period designation describes the object – support, colors, condition – while the signature reflects which name appears on the painting. In most cases there is no attempt at deception behind this, but rather Japanese painting training: copying from workshop models was the curriculum for centuries, an utsushi is regarded as a bow to the teacher, workshops signed with the master's name, and artist names were passed down within a school. Such a hanging scroll is therefore not a forgery, but a hand-painted one-of-a-kind that continues the formal language of its school – just not the work of the famous name, and priced accordingly. We explain this in detail in the guide Why does a kakemono often bear the signature of an artist long deceased?.