Country of origin:
Japan
 
Period:
Showa
 
Item Type
Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
 
Materials:
Silk, Paper
 
Condition:
Good Condition, Some Stains due to Age
 
Color:
Brown, Warm Peach, Green
 
Authentic, Sealed True work of Art
Original Paulownia box preserved
 
Size
60 x 215mm
 
This hanging scroll captures the timeless harmony between bamboo and sparrows, a classical East Asian theme symbolizing resilience and vitality. Executed in a restrained ink palette heightened with faint ochre and gray washes, the composition exemplifies the haiga-like clarity and composure characteristic of late Meiji and Taishō painting.
The vertical sweep of the bamboo stalks, firm yet rhythmically alive, anchors the pictorial space with quiet dignity. Against this elegant scaffolding, two sparrows animate the scene: one perched contemplatively upon a slender branch, the other mid-flight, wings caught in soft motion. The interaction between the birds and bamboo embodies the Zen concept of ma (間)—the poetic tension between stillness and movement, presence and absence.
The subtle orange gradation in the background evokes the pale glow of morning light or akebono, enhancing the atmospheric tranquility of the piece. The painter’s economy of brushwork, seen in the controlled wet-to-dry transitions along the bamboo joints, eveals mastery of bokuseki-like fluidity, a hallmark of Kyoto’s Shijō school.
 
The artist’s approach demonstrates an awareness of Maruyama Ōkyo’s realism and Matsumura Keibun’s lyrical restraint, filtered through the later Nihonga sensibility that prized delicate tonal modulations and compositional grace.
The seal “一寿” (Ichiju) appears on other fine Meiji–Taishō scrolls depicting natural subjects such as plum blossoms, cranes, and landscapes, occasionally signed with dual seals similar in style to those seen here.
This work emerged from Kyoto’s thriving commercial painting ateliers, where painters created refined works for tea spaces, temples, and the cultivated homes of the modernizing elite.
 
Within a wabi-sabi or Japandi interior, this scroll would introduce an atmosphere of serenity and understated sophistication. The neutral tones, gentle composition, and balanced voids harmonize beautifully with natural wood, linen, and stone textures.
Displayed in a tokonoma alcove or minimalist contemporary setting, it bridges classical refinement and modern quietude, a dialogue between nature and human sensibility.