Lot Essay
The pair of cranes depicted on the right-hand, screen are the white-naped crane, which migrates yearly to its wintering grounds in Southern Japan. The red-crowned, or Japanese, cranes depicted in the painting on the left-hand screen are said to live for a thousand years.
Pine is an auspicious symbol in Japan, representing longevity, steadfastness and good fortune due to its long life, and endurance as it remains green throughout the winter months.
For a pair of screens by Kano Sansetsu (1590-1651) also depicting cranes and pine, in the collection of the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, go to:
https://www.asianart.org/exhibitions_index/japanese-painting-traditions
Pine is an auspicious symbol in Japan, representing longevity, steadfastness and good fortune due to its long life, and endurance as it remains green throughout the winter months.
For a pair of screens by Kano Sansetsu (1590-1651) also depicting cranes and pine, in the collection of the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, go to:
https://www.asianart.org/exhibitions_index/japanese-painting-traditions