Kakemono Bird by a Raging River

Balanced on a moss-covered stone amid rushing water, a wagtail is framed by swaying reed stalks and the branches of a weeping willow. In the background, a woven bamboo fence hints at the proximity of human dwelling – an atmospheric glimpse of Japanese riverside nature, captured in fine, controlled ink drawing with subtle color accents.

The hanging scroll is painted on silk and bears the signature and seal of Hiroe Kasen from the Shôwa period. The confident line work in the plumage and grasses shows the precise observation of nature characteristic of kachō-ga, the classical bird-and-flower painting.

The shaft of the hanging scroll is fitted with fittings made of bone. In Japanese mythology, wagtails are regarded as the birds that once taught the primordial deities Izanagi and Izanami about love, and thus carry a special symbolic meaning. A fine, poetic work for lovers of traditional Japanese nature painting.