Kakemono Sailboats on Stormy Sea

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Period:
Meiji (1868–1912)
Dimensions (height x width):
195 x 34 cm
Item number:
5922

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

  • JikusakiBone
  • Material HonshiSilk
  • MotifLandscape
  • TechniqueHand-Painted

Description

Like an endless chain, numerous sailboats with billowing sails stretch across a turbulent sea in this hanging scroll, while in the foreground the spray of a breaking wave is captured in fine, dynamic lines. The silhouettes of the boats become increasingly delicate toward the horizon and finally almost completely dissolve into the diffuse background, lending the work an impressive sense of depth.

Depictions of fishing or trading fleets at sea were a popular motif in Japanese painting, capturing both the vastness of the sea and the bustling activity of coastal life. The restrained use of color in favor of precise linework draws the eye entirely to the choreography of sails and waves.

Painted on silk and mounted on a roller made of bone, this hanging scroll dates from the Meiji period. An unusual, movement-rich motif for collectors with an interest in maritime subjects of traditional Japanese ink painting.

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