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Waterfall in Reduction

Kakemono, unique work, 210 x 47 cm
Product number: 6331

Sold – no longer available

This piece was handmade by Ikeda Keisen 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 210 cm
  • Width 47 cm
  • Item Type Kakemono
  • Jikusaki Bone
  • Material Honshi Paper
  • Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
  • Technique Hand-Painted
  • Unique Work Yes
Signature / Stamp:
Sold

No longer available

Description

This exceptional kakemono from the Meiji period captivates through its radical reduction and striking clarity. In a few, bold brushstrokes, the depiction of a waterfall unfolds, pouring across the paper as if in a single breath. The minimalist execution draws the viewer's gaze to the essential and makes the emptiness of the surface an integral part of the composition.

The work bears the seal of Ikeda Keisen, who was known for his subtle yet modern interpretation of traditional subjects. Painted on paper and complemented by jikusaki made of bone, this piece unites craftsmanship with artistic boldness. The calligraphy, too, integrates harmoniously into the pictorial surface, lending the work an additional literary dimension.

This kakemono is not merely a decorative art object, but also a mirror of Japanese aesthetics, in which reduction and stillness are just as significant as detail and movement. It is a work for collectors and connoisseurs who appreciate the meditative power of the unfinished and the poetic language of emptiness.

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?.