Kakemono Sayori Fish

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Signature / Stamp:
Kawashima Tomiji
Period:
Shôwa (1926–1989)
Dimensions (height x width):
196 x 53 cm
Item number:
6182

This piece has been sold.

Sold – no longer available

This piece was handmade by Kawashima Tomiji and was a 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

  • JikusakiCeramics
  • Material HonshiPaper
  • MotifAnimals
  • TechniqueHand-Painted

Description

Beneath an overhanging bamboo branch, two Sayori – slender halfbeaks with a characteristically pointed, reddish snout – glide just below the surface of the water, suggested by fine, sweeping lines. The restrained coloring, with delicate yellow on the fins, sets a warm accent against the cool bamboo rendered in ink.

The hanging scroll, painted on paper, bears the signature and seal of Kawashima Tomiji from the Shôwa period. Sayori are regarded in Japanese cuisine and art alike as heralds of early summer, and their slender, elegant form makes them a popular motif of Kachō-ga, the classical painting of birds and nature.

The roller ends of the hanging scroll are fitted with fixtures made of ceramics, a fine detail that underscores the careful mounting. With its calm composition of water, plant, and animal, this work is especially well suited for display during the warm season and enriches any collection of Japanese nature painting with an evocative, seasonally attuned motif.

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