Kakemono Bamboo Branches in Ink

Several bamboo stalks grow densely packed across the entire height of this hanging scroll, their leaves rendered in varying tones of ink ranging from light gray to deep black. The alternation of wet, broad brushstrokes and dry, angular strokes lends the leaves an almost rustling vividness.

In the East Asian pictorial tradition, bamboo is regarded as a symbol of constancy and inner strength, as it bends in the wind without breaking. A poem in cursive calligraphy accompanies the painting at the left edge of the image, uniting word and image into a single whole, as is typical of literati-style ink painting.

Painted on paper and framed in fine brocade fabric with a floral pattern, fitted with roller rods of wood, this kakemono dates from the Shôwa period. The painter's signature and red seal at the lower edge of the image attest to the handmade nature of this evocative unique work of classical Japanese bamboo painting.