Crane in Flight
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Niwa Gyokuni 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 195 cm
- Width 42 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Sculpture
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
With wings outstretched, a single crane rises into the empty pictorial space of this kakemono – a moment of pure movement captured by the painter in a few precisely placed brushstrokes. The largely unpainted background heightens the effect of the bird, whose wings seem about to leave the edge of the picture in the next instant.
The crane is one of the most significant symbols of good fortune in Japan, representing longevity, grace, and a high, unattainable flight – an emblem that has inspired painters of the most diverse schools for centuries. The reduced visual language of this work, focused entirely on line and movement, points to a confident, practiced hand.
The kakemono bears the signature and seal of Niwa Gyokuni and dates from the Shôwa period. Discreetly mounted on light-colored fabric, it unfolds its effect above all through the clarity of its composition and is exceptionally well suited as an elegant focal point in a calm, brightly designed room.
