Two Cranes in the Surf under a Red Sun
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Unryō 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 200 cm
- Width 50 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Cranes have long been regarded in Japan as messengers of good fortune and a symbol of long life, and this very meaning resonates in this ink-painted kakemono: two birds stand in the surging water, their necks elegantly curved, while suggested waves in the background frame the composition.
The painter confines himself almost entirely to shades of black and gray; only the characteristic red crowns of the cranes provide a touch of color. This restraint lends the painting a quiet elegance typical of classical bird-and-flower painting (kachô-ga). Created in the Meiji period, the work is painted on paper, and the jikusaki ends are made of bone.
As a gift or as wall decoration in special rooms, such a crane motif has been valued for generations, as it conveys wishes for health and long life. Anyone seeking a subtle yet meaningful work of Japanese ink painting will find in this kakemono a fitting example.
