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Tiger on Rocks

Kakemono, unique work, 205 x 71 cm
Product number: 6469

Sold – no longer available

This piece was handmade by Yokochi Hekigan 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 205 cm
  • Width 71 cm
  • Item Type Kakemono
  • Jikusaki Wood
  • Material Honshi Silk
  • Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
  • Technique Hand-Painted
  • Unique Work Yes
Signature / Stamp:
Yokochi Hekigan
Sold

No longer available

Description

It emerges from the mist, its gaze directed upward, its paws resting on a dark rocky ledge: a tiger in full presence. The animal's posture unites tension and calm at once – as if it were pausing before setting itself into motion. The open mouth, the alert eye, and the dense, carefully rendered fur lend the depiction a remarkable vividness that immediately draws the viewer's eye.

The tiger is among the most important subjects of East Asian painting. As a symbol of strength, dignity, and protection against evil, it has held a firm place in Japanese and Chinese pictorial tradition for centuries. The composition follows this tradition with great skill: the expansive, atmospherically graduated background recedes entirely, leaving the entire pictorial effect to the animal.

The painting bears the signature and seal of Yokochi Hekigan and was created in the Showa period. Painted on silk and mounted in a golden brocade frame with a cloud pattern, this hand-painted unique work unfolds a presence that lends any room an extraordinary accent.

Frequently asked

No – as a one-of-a-kind piece it exists in a single example only.
We would be glad to look for one. Get in touch with the details of the object you are looking for and we will see what we can do.
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?.