Kakemono Kingfisher in a Dive

Mid-flight – wings spread wide, the long beak aimed at a target – a kingfisher appears in the moment of highest concentration just before the dive. The colorful precision of detail on the bird, with its metallic shimmering blue-green, the warm brown of its underside, and its delicate red feet, forms an appealing contrast to the generous emptiness of the background. In the lower area, loosely placed bamboo stalks and a small group of finely painted blossoms frame the scene without diminishing the effect of the flying bird.

The composition unfolds its strength through the interplay of movement and stillness: the dynamically depicted bird seems to fairly cut through the wide, calm pictorial space. The depiction is accompanied by a calligraphic inscription that lends the work an additional literary quality.

The painting bears the signature and seal of Otaki Uzan and was created in the Showa period. Painted on washi paper and mounted in a sea-green brocade frame, this hand-painted unique work is complemented by a signed wooden box.