Winter Landscape with Birds by the River

Name: Winter Landscape with Birds by the River
Brand: Sakai Hōitsu
SKU: 5898
Price: 430.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, with box, 180 x 42 cm

Product number: 5898

Height 180 cm
Width 42 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Sculpture
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Meiji (1868–1912)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes
Wooden Box Yes

Signature / Stamp:

Sakai Hōitsu

€430.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

A snow-covered riverside landscape with a thatched-roof hut, bare branches, and reeds by the water, while a few birds fly low over the scenery – a quiet winter landscape characteristic of Japanese painting of the Edo period.

The hanging scroll bears the signature and seal of Sakai Hōitsu (1761–1829), one of the most important representatives of the Rimpa school, known for his decorative yet naturalistic pictorial language. The fine rendering of snow on roofs and branches shows the sensitivity to light and season typical of Hōitsu. The restrained coloring – muted beige and gray, interrupted by the dark silhouettes of the birds – creates a quiet, almost wintry cool atmosphere that lets the viewer come to rest.

The work is delivered including a signed wooden box, an additional sign of the care with which this painting was originally kept.

Frequently asked

Does this piece come with a wooden box (Tomobako)?

Yes, this work is delivered with a wooden box.

Does this work carry a seal or signature?

Yes, this piece carries the signature or seal of Sakai Hōitsu

When was the work created?

Based on the previous owners' information and the condition of the object we place it broadly in the Meiji (1868–1912) period, but cannot give a precise date.

Is this genuine craftsmanship?

Yes, this piece is a genuine handcrafted original that exists only once.

Why does the date of creation sometimes not match the artist's dates

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?.