Crow in a Dive

Name: Crow in a Dive
Brand: Watanabe Shoka
SKU: 5919
Price: 280.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, with box, 205 x 52 cm

Product number: 5919

Height 205 cm
Width 52 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Wood
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes
Wooden Box Yes

Signature / Stamp:

Watanabe Shoka

€280.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

A crow in a dive, upside down and with wings folded, hurling itself toward a blossoming branch – an unusually dynamic interpretation of a motif that in Japanese painting is otherwise mostly depicted at rest or perched.

The hanging scroll bears the signature and seal of Watanabe Shoka. The plumage is built up with broad, energetic brushstrokes, while the branch above it is rendered in delicate, almost translucent lines – a deliberate contrast between powerful movement and still vegetation. In Japanese culture, the crow is not regarded as a harbinger of misfortune but as a symbol of vigilance and intelligence, and it has been treated by numerous painting schools as an independent, often even humorous motif.

The work is delivered including a wooden box, which serves to protect and properly store the hanging scroll.

Frequently asked

Does this piece come with a wooden box (Tomobako)?

Yes, this work is delivered with a wooden box.

Does this work carry a seal or signature?

Yes, this piece carries the signature or seal of Watanabe Shoka

When was the work created?

Based on the previous owners' information and the condition of the object we place it broadly in the Meiji (1868–1912) 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?.