Kakemono Set of Two Paintings – Landscapes in Ink

Two ink paintings that complement one another like two stanzas of a poem: one hanging scroll shows a lone traveler on a narrow path beneath towering, mist-shrouded mountain walls, accompanied by a flock of birds vanishing into the depths of the gorge. The second presents a majestic mountain landscape with soaring peaks, a still body of water, and a small hut beneath pines on a rocky outcrop, from which a waterfall plunges into the depths. Both works are united by masterful command of ink technique - the interplay of dense and glazing tonal values, of firm contours and atmospheric dissolution.

The depictions follow the tradition of East Asian landscape painting (Sansuiga), in which mountains, water, and the human figure merge into a contemplative unity. Both paintings bear the signature and seal of Kawai Gyokudō, one of the most outstanding landscape painters of modern Japanese art.

Painted on paper, with jikusaki made of bone and mounted in a finely patterned brocade border, this pair of hand-painted unique works unfolds a remarkable presence and is a significant collector's item.