A beautiful and rare pair of Japanese six fold paper screens painted in ink and colour depicting red crowned cranes taking off over the sea, the leading crane looking over her shoulder reassuringly to check that he companions are following safely, shown in sequence across the two screens.

One signed Konen nanju-san Hogen (by Hogen Eishin at the age of 73), the other Hogen Eishin hitsu (by Hogen Eishin).

Height: 69 1/2 in (177 cm)
Length: 144 in (366 cm) each screen

It was customary in Japanese painting for students and followers to sign the name of a previous master if they were painting in his style, and the full name of the artist referred to in this case is Kano Yasunobu (1613 – 1685). He was a well-known artist who established an important branch of the Kano school in Edo (Tokyo). His signature, Hogen Eishin, means the honourable Eishin, a title which he was awarded in 1662 and used until his death in 1685.

Throughout history, birds have been viewed as animals of special value and have been endowed with meanings often drawn from legends and stories that have endured over many generations. Apart from the universal respect for these waterbirds, for the Japanese, the crane (tsuru) is considered a national treasure, appearing in art, literature and folklore. The Japanese also regard the crane as as symbol of good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years. In addition it represents fidelity, as Japanese cranes are known to mate for life.

The species of crane shown in these screens is the red-crowned crane, also called the Japanese or Manchurian crane. Because of its large size (55 in – 140 cm), it does not make for easy prey even though standing out in its natural habitat of swamps and marshland; it is however close to extinction. Fully matured the red-crowned crane is white with a patch of red skin on its head; this patch becomes bright red when the crane is angry or excited.

Japanese folding screens, or Byobu, have always played a significant part in the otherwise minimal Japanese interior. Such screens are generally constructed on paper mounted on a light wood frame, usually of two or six panels, and often produced in pairs. They would frequently be embellished with gold leaf – a feature suggested as an attempt to reflect light in dimly lit interiors.

Price: please enquire