Kakemono Raccoon Dog in Autumn Grass

With fine, almost hatching brushstrokes, the fur of a small raccoon dog is rendered as it raises itself up at the edge of tall blades of grass, curiously stretching its head upward. The technique of hand-painting shows itself in the countless short strokes from which the shaggy fur emerges stroke by stroke.

Around the animal unfolds a restrained composition of sweet grasses and small white blossoms, while the greater part of the picture surface deliberately remains empty. This concentration on a single, vividly observed motif against a quiet background is typical of the bird-and-flower painting of the Meiji period, from which this hanging scroll originates.

The paper picture support is fitted with wooden roller rods and mounted in shimmering, gray-blue silk fabric, which gives the kakemono a calm, dignified frame. As a hand-painted unique work by an unknown Japanese painter, the work unites fine powers of observation with the quiet elegance of classical hanging scroll painting.