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Pair of two-fold crane screens browse these categories for related items... All Items: Japanese: Paintings: Screens: Pre 1940: item #817579
$4200 |
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| A pair of nihonga screens dating to the early Showa period, circa 1930. Likely to be two pairs of mated cranes, they are engaging in series of unison calling. The male lifts up his wings during the unison call while the female keeps her wings folded at her sides. The birds stand in a specific posture, usually with their heads thrown back and beaks skyward during the display. All cranes also engage in a variety of forms of dancing unrelated to courtship. The smaller and less interested crane to the right is a juvenile, and having no part to play, preens its feathers. The Japanese crane, a most auspicious symbol, has been of great importance in Japanese art and culture since ancient times. It is regarded as a symbol of good fortune and longevity due to its fabled lifespan, and also represents fidelity as the birds are known to mate for life. Here the artist's representation of the crane relies strongly on a foundation of shasei, or sketching from life. His unpretentious ink and gofun brushwork is rich in descriptive quality revealing the artist's skill with the brush. The signature and seal read Shosai. Three artists born during the Meiji period share the same name and a lack of further evidence leaves us unable to narrow the search. The artists were students of Suzuki Shonen, Imao Keinen and Kikuchi Hobun. Painted on paper with ink, gofun and color the screens are in very good condition. Each screen measures 75 inches across and stands 68 inches high. | ||||||||||||||
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