Snake
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Kozan 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 187 cm
- Width 50 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Coiled with its tongue split, a snake lurks at the foot of a rugged rock, its body tracing elegant curves across the pale picture ground. The fine patterning of the scales and the alert gaze lend the animal an almost tangible vividness, even though the color palette is deliberately restrained, kept in gray and earth tones.
The Kakemono is painted on paper and bears the signature or the seal of the artist Kozan from the Shôwa period. In Japanese symbolism, the snake stands for renewal, wisdom, and protection from misfortune, which is why depictions like this one were traditionally displayed in the Tokonoma at the turn of the year.
The axis of the hanging scroll is fitted with fittings made of wood. With its unusual choice of motif and its precise, lively execution, this work is an interesting addition for collectors who, alongside the classic bird and landscape motifs, also appreciate rarer subjects of Japanese ink painting.
