Koi Climbing the Waterfall - Set of 2
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Kano Tanshin 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 178 cm
- Width 55 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
- Wooden Box Yes
Description
In powerful motion, two koi climb a waterfall in this two-part hanging scroll set, their scale patterns finely rendered, while spray and waves foam around them in delicate, shimmering shades of gray. The precious gold brocade mounting of the two hanging scrolls lends the ensemble a particularly refined appearance.
Both works bear the signature and seal of Kano Tanshin and were hand-painted on silk during the Shôwa period. The jikusaki of both hanging scrolls is made of bone; together they are delivered in a wooden box.
The koi struggling upstream against the current to climb the waterfall is one of Japan's best-known symbols of perseverance, willpower, and success. As a matching set, this motif unfolds a particularly striking effect and is excellently suited for collectors who are enthusiastic about powerful, symbolic pairs of images in Japanese painting.
