Kakemono Crow

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Signature / Stamp:
Ishirei Okada
Period:
Shôwa (1926–1989)
Dimensions (height x width):
185 x 46 cm
Item number:
6199

This piece has been sold.

Sold – no longer available

This piece was handmade by Ishirei Okada 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

  • JikusakiSculpture
  • Material HonshiPaper
  • MotifAnimals
  • TechniqueHand-Painted

Description

A single crow sits on a gnarled branch, modeled with just a few dense layers of ink in such a plastic manner that the dense, silkily shimmering plumage becomes almost tangible. The alert gaze and the slightly tensed posture lend the bird a quiet presence that carries the entire image.

The Crow is painted on paper and bears the signature and seal of Ishirei Okada from the Shôwa period. In Japanese art and mythology, crows are regarded as clever, often mysterious messengers and became, in the painting of the Edo and Meiji periods, a distinct and highly esteemed subject that demands great painterly mastery in the handling of ink.

The roller of the hanging scroll is fitted with fittings made of plastic. With its reduced, powerful pictorial language, this work takes its place within a long tradition of Karasu painting and is an impressive addition for collectors of classical Japanese ink painting.

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