Kakemono Moon in the Reeds

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Period:
Meiji (1868–1912)
Dimensions (height x width):
192 x 31 cm
Item number:
4353

This piece has been sold.

Sold – no longer available

This piece was a handmade 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

  • Material HonshiPaper
  • MotifLandscape
  • TechniqueHand-Painted

Description

A quiet, almost floating atmosphere defines this hanging scroll: a delicately suggested full moon hangs over a vast, empty expanse, while tall reed grasses bend in an imagined wind along the lower edge of the image. The restraint in the composition leaves ample room for the viewer's imagination.

The moon is among the most beloved motifs in Japanese poetry and painting, symbolizing impermanence, quiet contemplation, and the beauty of the fleeting moment. Combined with reed grasses, traditionally associated with autumn, this creates a quiet, melancholic mood characteristic of the Japanese aesthetic of "mono no aware".

The work dates from the Meiji period and was executed in restrained ink painting with occasional warm brown tones on paper. It is precisely through its simplicity that this kakemono unfolds a particularly poetic effect, making it ideally suited for rooms in which calm and contemplation are meant to take center stage.

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