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Image Not Available for Mandarin Ducks and Red Plum
Mandarin Ducks and Red Plum
Image Not Available for Mandarin Ducks and Red Plum

Mandarin Ducks and Red Plum

Dateca. 1900
Maker Watanabe Shotei Japanese, 1851 - 1918
Label TextIn this pair of hanging scrolls, the artist has successfully conveyed a sense of space and movement using varying brush techniques and materials. On the right is a pair of mandarin ducks, an emblem of marital fidelity and bliss. The pair huddle together below a blossoming red plum tree branch, which is painted in exquisite detail. On the left, two carp swim underneath floating water-plants. These Asian fish have long been associated with perseverance and strength for their ability to swim against the current. Shotei provides a sense of the water’s clarity by skillful shading and delicate use of ink wash.
Object number97.71.1
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "A Sack Full of Tigers: Diffusion and Diversity in Japanese Painting of the 19th Century Diffusion and Diversity in Japanese Painting", December 6, 1997 - November 15, 1998
Credit LineGift of Griffith and Patricia Way
DimensionsOverall (incl. endknobs): 88 × 23 15/16 in. (223.5 × 60.8 cm) Image: 48 9/16 × 15 13/16 in. (123.3 × 40.1 cm)
MediumColor on silk
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