Two Birds on a Tree
Kakemono, unique work, 198 x 51 cm
Product number:
6380
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Tani Bunchō 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 198 cm
- Width 51 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
Description
Two birds sit on a branch, surrounded by delicate leaves rendered in bluish tones. The composition appears calm and balanced, yet the lively posture of the animals lends the image a subtle dynamism. The artist works with sparing but precise brushstrokes that impressively render both the structure of the branches and the plumage of the birds.
The fine gradations of the ink create depth and lightness at once – a play between presence and transparency that is typical of classical Japanese painting of the Meiji period. The work conveys the quiet moment of pausing in nature, in which movement and stillness flow into one another.
Painted on paper, with jikusaki made of wood, dated to the Meiji period. The seal refers to Tani Buncho. The work is kept in a wooden box.
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?.
