Wild Goose in Flight over the Reeds
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Goto Koho 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 202 cm
- Width 52 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Bone
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
With few, confidently placed brushstrokes, this kakemono captures the moment a wild goose passes in flight over reed grass. The feathers are rendered in graduated shades of gray, while the head and beak are enlivened with warm ochre and beige tones, so that the bird appears lively despite the reduced color palette. At the bottom edge of the image, a few stalks and reddish blossom buds suggest a shoreline landscape, lending the motif depth and context.
The painting is executed on paper and bears the signature and seal of the artist Goto Koho. The jikusaki made of bone underscores the careful workmanship of this hanging scroll created in the Shôwa period. The clear pictorial composition, with much open space around the central motif, follows the tradition of Japanese ink painting, in which emptiness is as significant as what is depicted.
The wild goose has long been regarded in Japanese pictorial language as a symbol of vastness, the migratory impulse, and the change of seasons. Anyone who takes pleasure in classical bird painting and in calm, unassuming composition will find in this kakemono an evocative collector's piece.
