Pomegranate Branch and Star
- Height 187 cm
- Width 51 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
Ripe, glowing red pomegranates hang heavily from a curved branch, some partially open to reveal the juicy seeds within. A large black-and-gray starling perches on a branch above, its beak slightly open, as if studying the fruit. The leaves in dark shades of green and the delicate branches create a natural frame, while the background is kept in a neutral beige that especially highlights the fruit and the bird. In Japanese tradition, the motif symbolizes abundance, fertility, and the quiet beauty of autumn.
The kakemono bears the signature and seal of Yamada Shuhei, an artist of the Showa period who specialized in classical kacho-ga painting. In this era, many painters cultivated the detailed depiction of fruit, birds, and plants with a sensitive use of color that captured the textures and play of light in nature. Yamada Shuhei's works are characterized by a harmonious balance between realism and poetic atmosphere.
Painted on silk, the unique work unfolds a warm yet balanced color palette with fine gradations of red, green, and gray that bring the glossy skin of the pomegranates, the feathers of the starling, and the veins of the leaves vividly to life. The jikusaki made of bone lend the piece a refined, traditional mounting. It comes with a wooden box. This hand-painted kakemono brings the rich, autumnal mood of Japanese nature painting into the room and is especially suited for lovers of fruit and bird motifs who value fine brushwork and symbolic depth.
