Leaping Carp - Kakemono Gyokusha Shunki

Name: Leaping Carp - Kakemono Gyokusha Shunki
Brand: Gyokusha Shunki
SKU: 6437
Price: 540.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, 194 x 50 cm

Product number: 6437

Height 194 cm
Width 50 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Wood
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes

Signature / Stamp:

Gyokusha Shunki

€540.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

In this extremely reduced yet expressive depiction, a single carp rises from the stillness of an almost empty pictorial space. The artist directs the gaze immediately to the animal, whose body turns upward with gentle elegance. The scale-like structure is only suggested and yet precisely captured, giving the fish an appearance that is at once realistic and poetic. The slight turn of the body lends it a dynamic, almost weightless movement, as if it were working its way upward through transparent water.

The composition draws its life from generous emptiness, which lets the fish emerge all the more powerfully. The background remains deliberately undefined, so that attention is directed entirely to the subtle handling of light and the flowing brush traces. This visual language corresponds to the aesthetic sensibility of the Meiji period, in which nature motifs were often connected with a restrained, meditative atmosphere.

Painted on paper and fitted with jikusaki made of wood, the hanging scroll bears the seal of Gyokusha Shunki. The work dates from the Meiji period and captivates through its calm, concentrated depiction, presenting the carp - a traditional symbol of strength, endurance, and ascent - in a particularly pure and clear form.

Frequently asked

Does this work carry a seal or signature?

Yes, this piece carries the signature or seal of Gyokusha Shunki

When was the work created?

Based on the previous owners' information and the condition of the object we place it broadly in the Meiji (1868–1912) period, but cannot give a precise date.

Is this genuine craftsmanship?

Yes, this piece is a genuine handcrafted original that exists only once.

Why does the date of creation sometimes not match the artist's dates

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?.