Jumping Fish at a Waterfall
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Taizan Tatewaki 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 210 cm
- Width 55 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Between foaming spray and moss-covered rock, a single fish has thrown itself against the waterfall in a bold leap in this hanging scroll – a motif that has long stood in Japanese painting for endurance, courage, and the will to swim against the current. Fine gradations of green and beige tones make the roaring water seem almost alive, while the fish is captured in mid-air with just a few confident brushstrokes.
The painting is done on silk and bears the signature and seal of Taizan Tatewaki (1898–1971), an artist of the Shôwa period. The scroll rests on a roller with fittings made of bone, a detail that speaks to the careful, traditional making of this hanging scroll.
Kakemono like this one were hung in Japan on special occasions in the tokonoma, the alcove of the living space, and changed according to the season or mood. This piece is excellently suited for collectors of traditional Japanese painting who appreciate a vivid nature motif with symbolic power.
