vintage japanese shikishi print : catfish

In Japanese mythology, the catfish or namazu (鯰) is a giant underground creature who causes earthquakes! Fortunately this rendering by Shinzuo Hashimoto (1876-1943) is of the more languid and graceful variety, with flowing lines and a calming sense of movement.

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.