248 - A FINE AND LARGE SIX-PANEL 'CRANES IN A MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPE' BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN)

A FINE AND LARGE SIX-PANEL 'CRANES IN A MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPE' BYOBU (FOLDING SCREEN) Japan, 18 th-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and silver leaf on paper. Mounted on silk brocade on six black-lacquered wood panels with metal fittings decorated with phoenixes. Finely painted with a flock of red-crowned cranes amid reeds and rocks in a waterside landscape, receding toward distant mountains against a silver ground. SIZE 171 x 371 cm Condition: Good condition with old wear. Some rubbing, scattered staining, with small losses, minor flaking, tears and old repairs to the painted surface. The back with small holes and losses. Tears and minor losses to the joints. The crane is one of the most prominent symbols of longevity and good fortune in Asia. They are believed to have a long lifespan and to traverse between heaven and earth. In turn, these attributes have made them logical companions of sennin, the Taoist Immortals. The red-crowned or Japanese crane depicted on this screen is said to live for 1,000 years. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related six-panel byobu screen with cranes in a reeded pond, dated to the 19 th century, 168.5 x 366 cm, at Christie's, Interiors - Including Asian Works of Art, 9 September 2015, London, lot 411 (sold for GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).