Two Cranes on a Snow-covered Pine Tree, c. 1834
Katsushika Hokusai; Publisher: Moriya Jiheiexpand_more
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
Bequest of Richard P. Galeexpand_more 74.1.241
Not on Viewexpand_more
Although Hokusai did not include a series title, this oversize print belongs to a set of five images representing creatures with long-standing symbolic associations: cranes and pines, longevity; carp, social ambition; hawks, focused endeavor; tortoises, longevity; horses, fecundity. All the prints except the one with horses were typical of New Year’s decoration. They would have been mounted as hanging scrolls for display in the tokonoma, or alcove, in Japanese homes. Capitalizing on the vertical format, Hokusai depicted two red-crested cranes with their long legs and graceful necks. In contrast to the carefully delineated birds, the snow-covered pine branch is defined by impressionistic dots and dabs, as if rendered with a brush, supporting the contention that the prints in this series were meant to be mounted as hanging scrolls to mimic paintings.
Details
- Title
- Two Cranes on a Snow-covered Pine Tree
- Artist Life
- 1760 - 1849
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 74.1.241
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Ukiyo-e shūka 16 (1981), p. 230, naga-ōban #5
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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