vintage japanese shikishi print : grapes

Symbolic of the earth's abundant harvest and fertility, grapes are depicted by Kondo Koichi (1884-1962) in a striking composition of simple beauty, which may have been displayed in a decorative alcove (or tokonoma) during Autumn.

Yokoyama Taikan was a leading figure in the early twentieth century Japanese art world, and this print is from a collection of reproductions of original Japanese artworks presented to him for his 60th birthday, in 1928. What an incredible gift!

Printed on shikishi board - a traditional Japanese art material with subtle flecking and a bevelled edge in gold - these works may be framed or propped, and look spectacular in pairs or as a triptych.