Collection

Flaming Grass

KAWABATA, Ryushi

1930

Information

Title
Flaming Grass
Artist
KAWABATA, Ryushi View artist Information
Year
1930
Collection
Transferred from ACA
Medium
color on silk, a pair of six-fold screens
Size
each 176.8×369.5

Commentary

The use of gold paint on a midnight blue background in this work recalls the Konshikondei Hannya Shingyo (the Heart Sutra, written with similar materials and color scheme by Emperor Go-Nara), and example of solemnly beautiful Heian Period (794–1185) and Kamakura Period (1185–1333) decorative sutras with inscriptions and frontispieces in gold paint on material dyed midnight blue. For other viewers this work may evoke a black kimono with a pattern of autumn grasses, and others may be reminded of lacquer painting. Is it a nocturnal scene, or daytime under the scorching sun? There is no one right answer. Indeed, the fascinating thing about this work is that it is open to interpretation, with people seeing it as daytime or nighttime depending on their own personal associations.

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