The Calligrapher and His Companion

Name: The Calligrapher and His Companion
SKU: 4823
Price: 210.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, with box, 184 x 60 cm

Product number: 4823

Height 184 cm
Width 60 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Wood
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes
Wooden Box Yes

€210.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

A scholar with raised brush seems to be writing into thin air, while a small, laughing companion looks over his shoulder – a humorous, immediate scene full of vitality. With concise, confident lines the scholar's robe and facial expression are worked out, while the companion is given a childlike lightness through softer, rounder forms, which stands in contrast to the writer's concentrated posture.

Such depictions of eccentric scholars, who seem to write spontaneously and without a fixed surface, draw on the long tradition of Zen-influenced figure painting, in which spontaneity and inner freedom are placed above formal perfection. The light, sketch-like execution lends this hanging scroll a particular immediacy and makes it a vivid example of humorous ink painting.

Frequently asked

Does this piece come with a wooden box (Tomobako)?

Yes, this work is delivered with a wooden box.

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?.