Kakemono Mallards under Red Plum Blossoms

Kōbai-kamo, red plum and ducks, is written on the wooden box, and below it, in parentheses, the word for spring. And indeed, this is a picture for the first mild weeks of the year: a gnarled plum branch reaches into the picture from above, covered with bright red blossoms, and on it sits a small tit, looking down.

Below, a pair of mallards glides across the cool blue water, the drake with its iridescent green head in front, the duck in warm brown close behind. The plumage is rendered feather by feather with great care, while the lines of the water are laid in with soft glazes. Between branch and ducks, the pale silk ground remains largely empty – the expanse of the pond emerges entirely on its own.

The painting is signed Seikan with a red seal. This hand-painted one-of-a-kind piece on silk dates from the Shōwa period, measures 62 × 202 cm and is mounted in gold-colored brocade with floral tendrils; the jikusaki are made of wood, and a wooden box is included. In Japan, a pair of ducks is regarded as a symbol of togetherness – a lovely gift for a wedding or a housewarming.