Kakemono Beauty

Beneath a blossoming cherry branch, a young woman in a brightly colored orange kimono walks across a gently curving meadow, her gaze turned pensively to the side. Her elaborately arranged hairstyle, adorned with hairpins, together with the delicate pink and blue tones of her robe, attest to the care with which this Bijin-ga, a classic motif of the "beautiful woman," was rendered. The softly suggested full moon in the background lends the scene a nocturnal, almost dreamlike mood.

The work, painted on silk, bears the signature and seal of Shuuko Nakayama and was created in the Shôwa period. The Jikusaki made of wood rounds off the traditional presentation of the hanging scroll fittingly. The fine line work in the face and in the folds of the robe reveals the high painterly skill with which Bijin-ga depictions were executed in this period.

Motifs of beautiful women beneath cherry blossoms are among the most popular subjects of Japanese painting, combining the theme of transience with quiet elegance. This Kakemono is exceptionally well suited for lovers of classical Japanese depictions of women and for all who wish to bring a piece of Far Eastern aesthetics into their living spaces.