Gnarled Plum Tree in Blossom
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 202 cm
- Width 52 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
Executed in pure ink painting, this kakemono, titled "Gnarled Plum Tree in Blossom", shows an old, gnarled plum tree whose weathered trunk pushes across the picture surface like a rock. Delicate blossoming branches, suggested with only a few brushstrokes, break forth from the dark wood – a popular motif in Japanese painting that heralds the beginning of spring and the force with which new life springs even from old wood.
Above the tree crown, a poem on the blooming plum is applied in powerful, flowing calligraphy, accompanied by two red seal impressions that lend the sheet a personal, signature-like character. The reduced use of ink and the contrast-rich juxtaposition of the massive trunk and the delicate blossoms create a calm, almost contemplative effect.
The picture is painted by hand on paper and dates from the Shôwa period. The scroll is fitted with jikusaki made of plastic and is suited both for traditional presentation in the tokonoma and as a stylish wall picture in modern rooms.
