L door: mallard at center behind reeds

Sliding Doors with Ducks and Reeds [left of a pair], second half 19th century

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

Shibata Zeshin was one of the few artists widely recognized for his paintings on silk and paper and his innovative mastery of lacquering techniques and design. Early in his life Zeshin was apprenticed to the lacquer workshop of Koma Kansai II (1766–1835), who produced lacquerware for the ruling elite, as well as the wealthy merchant class. Yet Zeshin left at 16 to study painting. Zeshin’s mastery of both art forms is evident on this sliding door, with the lacquer skillfully fashioned to create a scene as evocative as an ink painting. The ducks are decorated in black and colored lacquers with gold and silver powders and shell inlays for the subtle iridescence of birds’ feathers. Using the technique of direct lacquering (kiji nuri), wherein the lacquer design is applied directly to the substrate, Zeshin deftly utilizes the grain of the wood to guide the verticality of the composition, and gently evoke the rippling of water.

Details
Title
Sliding Doors with Ducks and Reeds [left of a pair]
Artist Life
1807 - 1891
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.122.1
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

L door: mallard at center behind reeds