Beauty
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Shuuko Nakayama and was a one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.
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Details about the sold piece
- Height 198 cm
- Width 44 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Beneath a blossoming cherry branch, a young woman in a brightly colored orange kimono walks across a gently curving meadow, her gaze turned pensively to the side. Her elaborately arranged hairstyle, adorned with hairpins, together with the delicate pink and blue tones of her robe, attest to the care with which this Bijin-ga, a classic motif of the "beautiful woman," was rendered. The softly suggested full moon in the background lends the scene a nocturnal, almost dreamlike mood.
The work, painted on silk, bears the signature and seal of Shuuko Nakayama and was created in the Shôwa period. The Jikusaki made of wood rounds off the traditional presentation of the hanging scroll fittingly. The fine line work in the face and in the folds of the robe reveals the high painterly skill with which Bijin-ga depictions were executed in this period.
Motifs of beautiful women beneath cherry blossoms are among the most popular subjects of Japanese painting, combining the theme of transience with quiet elegance. This Kakemono is exceptionally well suited for lovers of classical Japanese depictions of women and for all who wish to bring a piece of Far Eastern aesthetics into their living spaces.
