Grasses by the Rock
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 114 cm
- Width 44 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Rendered entirely in ink, without any color, this hanging scroll shows a mighty rock at the foot of which sweeping grasses and blooming orchids spread out. The varying gradations of ink – from deep black to delicate gray – give the stone its plastic effect, while the grasses are executed with just a few energetic brushstrokes.
Rock, grasses, and orchid are among the classic motifs of literati ink painting and stand for constancy, modesty, and a noble, reclusive character – qualities that were especially valued in East Asian scholar culture. The calligraphic brushwork underscores this close kinship between painting and the art of writing.
The motif was painted by hand on paper in the Shôwa period, and the hanging scroll is fitted with jikusaki made of bone. Signature and red seal at the left edge of the image identify this work as a unique work by a Japanese painter. For collectors of monochrome ink painting, this restrained, elegant hanging scroll is a stylish addition.
