{"product_id":"vintage-japanese-hanging-scroll-sparrows-weeping-plum-in-spring-kacho-ga-nihonga-shijo-school-signed-with-seal","title":"Vintage Japanese Hanging Scroll - Sparrows \u0026 Weeping Plum in Spring - Kacho-ga Nihonga - Shijō School - Signed with Seal","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis vintage Japanese kakemono presents a masterwork of seasonal kacho-ga \u003cbr\u003e- flower-and-bird painting - in the refined Maruyama-Shijō tradition. Two sparrows (suzume) sit close together on a mossy garden rock, \u003cbr\u003esurrounded by the first signs of spring: weeping plum branches (枝垂れ梅) carrying \u003cbr\u003etheir pale pink blossoms, and the dark silhouette of a bare tree above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a composition of extraordinary quietness - and extraordinary skill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗠 \u0026amp; 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗬\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery element of this scroll carries the weight of Japanese seasonal tradition (kisetsu):\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Two sparrows together , tsugai no suzume): In Japanese aesthetics, a \u003cbr\u003e  paired bird composition is among the oldest symbols of marital harmony and \u003cbr\u003e  lasting companionship , fūfu enman). The two birds face slightly \u003cbr\u003e  different directions -awareness of the world - while remaining in contact. \u003cbr\u003e  This is not sentimental decoration; it is a philosophical position about \u003cbr\u003e  the nature of togetherness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeeping plum ( shidare-ume): The plum blossom that droops and trails - the most elegant form of ume - blooms in late winter before any other tree. \u003cbr\u003e  It is the first announcement of spring in Japan, the signal that the cold \u003cbr\u003e  is breaking. In haiku tradition, shidare-ume is a kigo (季語, seasonal word) \u003cbr\u003e  for early spring, evoking anticipation and gentle hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Garden rock (奇石, kiseki): The scholar's rock - the centerpiece of the \u003cbr\u003e  traditional Japanese garden - represents permanence, the unchanging ground \u003cbr\u003e  beneath seasonal flux. The birds rest on it; the blossoms fall around it; \u003cbr\u003e  the tree extends above it. The rock simply endures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Bare winter tree ( fuyuki): Still leafless, still dark - the tree has \u003cbr\u003e  not yet joined spring. This tension between what has arrived (plum, birds) \u003cbr\u003e  and what has not yet (leaves, warmth) is precisely the mono no aware \u003cbr\u003e  moment that Japanese aesthetics prizes above all others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘 \u0026amp; 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Maruyama-Shijō school , founded by Maruyama Ōkyo (円山応挙, 1733–1795) \u003cbr\u003eand developed by Matsumura Goshun ( 1752–1811), created the dominant style \u003cbr\u003eof Kyoto painting from the late 18th century onward -distinguished by direct \u003cbr\u003eobservation of nature combined with Japanese decorative grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis scroll exemplifies the school's hallmark approach:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Mokkotsu (没骨, \"boneless\"): The sparrows are painted entirely without ink \u003cbr\u003e  outline - pigment applied directly in the shape of the body, feathers built \u003cbr\u003e  up in layers of yellow-ochre and grey-brown wash. The eye is a single dot of \u003cbr\u003e  pure black; the beak, two strokes. Life achieved through absolute economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Tsukitate (付立て): The rock is built with wet ink applied in overlapping \u003cbr\u003e  strokes — each one placed before the previous has dried - creating the \u003cbr\u003e  complex tonal depth of aged, mossy stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Ink and colour harmony : The composition moves between the pure \u003cbr\u003e  sumi ink of the tree branches and rock base, the warm mineral tones of the \u003cbr\u003e  birds and upper rock, and the delicate pink of the plum - a tonal range \u003cbr\u003e  managed with complete control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work bears a single red seal in the Shijō tradition of painters who allowed \u003cbr\u003etheir mark to speak without further inscription.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEstimated period: Shōwa era (c. 1960s–1980s).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 \u0026amp; 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMounted in hon-hyōgu with fine teal-grey brocade featuring a dense small-flower \u003cbr\u003erepeat - one of the most classically refined mounting choices for a spring kacho-ga scroll, \u003cbr\u003ethe cool tone of the brocade setting off the warmth of the painting's palette with \u003cbr\u003eprecision. Inner border in gold chrysanthemum-pattern strip. Ivory roller .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition: Very good to excellent. Paper clean and bright. Pigments vivid. \u003cbr\u003eMounting intact with no separation or staining. Among the best-preserved scrolls \u003cbr\u003ein this collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chikoyaki","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45147410169935,"sku":"CKY-SCR-007-KCHG-SUZM-469","price":180.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0667\/6588\/1423\/files\/IMG_E1315_result.jpg?v=1777293598","url":"https:\/\/chikoyaki.com\/products\/vintage-japanese-hanging-scroll-sparrows-weeping-plum-in-spring-kacho-ga-nihonga-shijo-school-signed-with-seal","provider":"Chikoyaki","version":"1.0","type":"link"}