Two Cranes and a Plum Tree
Painting
ca.1741 to ca.1764 (made)
ca.1741 to ca.1764 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This elegant design is full of auspicious motifs. Two cranes, symbols of longevity, are pictured against a backdrop of bamboo and flowering cherry, symbols of flexibility and fortitude. The morning sun is a perfect globe above. Together, they evoke the New Year, which the design was probably intended to celebrate.
This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Toyonobu's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this sheet suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print.
This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Toyonobu's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this sheet suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Two Cranes and a Plum Tree (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, 'Two Cranes and a Plum Tree' by Ishikawa Toyonobu, Japan, ca.1741 to ca.1764 |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from Mr. Hogitaro Inada, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This elegant design is full of auspicious motifs. Two cranes, symbols of longevity, are pictured against a backdrop of bamboo and flowering cherry, symbols of flexibility and fortitude. The morning sun is a perfect globe above. Together, they evoke the New Year, which the design was probably intended to celebrate. This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Toyonobu's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this sheet suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.5096-1910 |
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| Record created | November 9, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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