Antique Japanese Turnip Painting Fragment / Pre-Edo / Wabi-Sabi Framed Art

Details

Description

This piece is a fragment of an old Japanese painting, cut out and mounted in a frame. It is thought … Read more This piece is a fragment of an old Japanese painting, cut out and mounted in a frame. It is thought to have originally been part of a folding screen or hanging scroll, and depicts a single turnip (kabu) plant, painted in a simple, unassuming brushwork on paper that has deepened over time into a rich amber tone. It is not known who painted it, or when or where, but the cut-out painting itself appears to be quite old, and is thought to possibly date back to before the Edo period.

In the world of Japanese painting, humble vegetable motifs such as turnips, daikon radishes, and eggplants have long been favored subjects in ink wash painting (suibokuga) and Zen painting (zenga). This tradition traces back to Chinese Chan Buddhist monk-painters, who found enlightenment, impermanence, and the preciousness of everyday life in humble vegetables and fruits, rather than in more ornate subjects such as flowers and birds. Japanese painters inherited this same sensibility, finding beauty in the nameless blessings of daily life rather than in showy, decorative themes. The turnip depicted in this framed piece carries that very spirit, which is likely why someone, at some later point, carefully cut out this single plant and had it mounted and preserved as a framed work.

The mounting itself also shows a great deal of meticulous craftsmanship. Old fabric has been used around the painting, and for this a navy-ground fabric woven with a gold-thread arabesque (karakusa) pattern was chosen. Right at the edge of the painting, a further strip of fabric in a different color has been inserted as a border. The outer wooden frame, too, has been chosen so as not to compete with the colors of the fabric or the painting, but rather to quietly set them off, a testament to the refined eye of whoever assembled this mounting. The artist and the original context of the painting remain unknown, but the care taken in the mounting itself speaks to how precious this single piece was to its owner.

The discoloration and staining of the paper, and the faded, softened contour lines, brought about by the passage of time, are not flaws at all, rather, they are the very embodiment of the wabi-sabi atmosphere created by the accumulation of long years. The simple yet dignified rendering of the turnip, the subdued combination of fabrics, and the calm tones of the wooden frame all resonate together, creating a quiet, contemplative space. This is a type of painting we have rarely had the opportunity to handle, and for that reason, we believe it will hold a unique appeal for anyone seeking the wabi-sabi sensibility distinctive to Japanese painting. As it is not especially large, it can be displayed casually in a wide range of spaces, an entryway, a study, or a corner of the living room.

[Condition]
- Fading, staining, and softened contour lines are visible throughout the painting due to age, but there are no specific repaired areas.
- The back image, please refer to the detail photos.

Size: W62.4cm x D3cm x H32cm
(Painted image size: W29cm x H20cm)
Weight: 1.65kg
Item No.: OB340 See less