Cranes and Turtle
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Suiu Oshida 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 200 cm
- Width 72 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 the gnarled branches of an old pine and the first blossoms of a plum tree, two cranes and a turtle meet on this kakemono – a pictorial combination that has stood for longevity, good fortune, and marital fidelity in Japanese art for centuries. The two birds face one another, their red-marked crowns and finely hatched plumage lending the scene a calm, almost reverent mood, while the turtle makes its way leisurely into the picture at the lower edge.
To the right of the motif, a calligraphic line of poetry completes the composition, uniting image and script into a classical whole, as is often found in traditional Japanese ink painting. The painting is executed on silk and bears the signature and seal of Suiu Oshida, whose seals can be seen at the lower edge of the picture. The restrained palette of earth tones, green, and a strong red on the cranes' heads sets a subtle accent within the muted composition.
The scroll mounting, with its wooden jikusaki ends, dates from the Shôwa period and displays the ornate border of patterned fabric typical of kakemono. As wall decoration, the painting can be presented in the classic manner in a tokonoma, but it works just as well as an eye-catcher in a Western-style room – a piece of Japanese painting that unites symbolism and craftsmanship in an unassuming way.
