Birds and Flowers
Sold – no longer available
This piece was a handmade 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 176 cm
- Width 62 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Sculpture
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Two birds with greenish plumage sit close together on a rugged rocky outcrop, looking down at a lush bouquet of pink peonies. In Japanese painting, this pairing of bird and blossom has always symbolized the harmonious interplay of the forces of nature, and is likewise regarded as an expression of the wish for happiness and long life for the viewer of the painting.
The artist worked with a fine brush and layered glazes of color on silk, giving the birds' plumage and the delicate petals a particularly vivid plasticity. The accompanying calligraphy in the upper half of the picture adds a poetic note to the composition, as is typical of fine Birds and Flowers depictions.
The hanging scroll dates from the Shôwa period and shows the combination of precise observation and decorative elegance characteristic of this genre. As a wall decoration, its warm tones and clear pictorial order unfold an inviting, friendly atmosphere, making it an appealing collector's item for lovers of traditional Japanese painting.
