Peony with Calligraphy

Name: Peony with Calligraphy
SKU: 5411
Price: 210.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, 176 x 54 cm

Product number: 5411

Height 176 cm
Width 54 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Sculpture
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes

€210.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

A delicately pink-speckled peony in full bloom, accompanied by a column of calligraphy at the left edge of the picture – a union of painting and writing, as it was valued in the literati pictorial tradition. The petals are built up in fine, glazing layers of color, creating a soft, almost translucent impression, while the leaf veins of the surrounding leaves are rendered in clearer lines. The peony has long been regarded in Japan and China as the "queen of flowers" and stands for wealth, honor, and prosperity, a motif that was often accompanied by a fitting literary comment.

The interplay of image and script lends this hanging scroll an additional layer of meaning and makes it a work that can be viewed both as painting and as calligraphy.

Frequently asked

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?.