Two Ducks in the Reeds by the Shore
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Shunpū 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 180 cm
- Width 60 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Two waterfowl stand close together among reed-like grasses, their plumage finely graduated in delicate brown and cream tones, their heads turned in slightly different directions. The naturalistic rendering of the plumage and posture reveals a keen power of observation and a sure sense for the proportions of the animals.
Pairs of birds like these are among the popular auspicious motifs of Japanese painting and frequently stand for marital fidelity, harmony, and peaceful companionship. Against the restrained, almost empty background of the painting, the pair unfolds a calm, warm presence that lends the picture its congenial character.
The kakemono was hand-painted on silk in the Shôwa period and fitted with wooden jikusaki. The signature and the red seal of the painter at the lower edge of the picture confirm the execution as an independent unique work. For lovers of classical animal painting with symbolic meaning, this hanging scroll is a graceful addition.
