Mochizuki Gyokkei (1874-1938)

A striking pair of Meiji period six-panel folding screens by Mochizuki Gyokkei 望月玉渓 (1874-1938) depicting a flock of cranes. Together, the two screens reveal a magnificent seven-meter-wide composition of interacting individuals painted in ink and mineral colors on a glittering gold ground.

It is a rare large-scale example of Gyokkei's excellent skill in depicting cranes, which can also be seen at the famous Heian Shrine in Kyōto, where he decorated the interior of the garden pavilion Shōbi-kan 尚美館 with paintings of many cranes. This building was moved from the Imperial Palace to the shrine grounds in Taishō 2 (1912), and Gyokkei was commissioned to recreate the wall design. However, compared to these paintings, the artist's signature on the left screen indicates that the work was completed on a winter day in Meiji 39 (1906). Thus, the screen painting appears to be six years older than the door panel and sliding door paintings at Heian Shrine. It is interesting to note that Gyokkei actually used some of the cranes from the screens as models for his murals, which show, for example, a crane that seems to be a direct copy of the running crane with spread wings from the right screen. Unfortunately, the Shōbi-kan building and its impressive design by Gyokkei are only occasionally open to the public.