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Grandfather and Grandson

Kakemono, unique work, 182 x 45 cm
Product number: 3838

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 182 cm
  • Width 45 cm
  • Item Type Kakemono
  • Jikusaki Wood
  • Material Honshi Paper
  • Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
  • Technique Hand-Painted
  • Unique Work Yes
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No longer available

Description

Painted with a fine brush and restrained coloring, this kakemono shows a white-bearded old man and a small boy beneath a flowering peach branch, on which the first fruits are already appearing and a small bird sits among the branches, while the two figures turn toward each other with a friendly expression.

In East Asian symbolism, the peach has long been regarded as a sign of long life and immortality, while the child's attentive gesture at the old man's side suggests the connection between generations and the passing on of wisdom and experience. The brushwork in the robes is clear and confidently drawn, the colors are finely graduated and appear warm and harmonious, almost narrative in expression.

The picture was painted on paper and fitted with wooden roller ends; it dates from the Shôwa period. As a hand-painted unique work, this hanging scroll combines a warm, narrative scene with the quiet elegance of classical Japanese figure painting and is suitable as a symbolic gift for family occasions.

Frequently asked

No – as a one-of-a-kind piece it exists in a single example only.
We would be glad to look for one. Get in touch with the details of the object you are looking for and we will see what we can do.
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?.