Sparrows and Plum Blossoms
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Haruka Toda 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 203 cm
- Width 56 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
- Wooden Box Yes
No longer available
Description
Executed on fine silk with delicate brushwork and subtle washes, this kakemono depicts two sparrows perched on a weathered tree stump, while a flowering plum branch extends into the composition from the right. The technique of hand painting is especially evident in the fine feather drawing of the birds and the almost sculptural rendering of the stump's cracked bark.
The combination of sparrows and plum blossoms is a classic motif of Japanese bird-and-flower painting (Kachô-ga) and represents sociability and the joy of early spring. The two birds sitting close together convey a warm, domestic atmosphere in the midst of the still barren season.
The painting bears the signature and seal of Haruka Toda (1903-1987) and is delivered including a specially signed wooden box, underscoring the work's provenance and esteem. The roller rod is made of bone, the honshi of silk, and the work was created in the Shôwa period. A fine collector's piece embodying the quiet poetry of traditional Japanese hanging scroll painting.
