Ishikawa ToyonobuJapanese, 1711–1785Two Cranes and a Plum Tree
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Two Cranes and a Plum Tree” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
This elegant design is full of auspicious motifs. Two cranes, symbols of longevity, are pictured against a backdrop of bamboo and flowering cherry, symbols of flexibility and fortitude. The morning sun is a perfect globe above. Together, they evoke the New Year, which the design was probably intended to celebrate.
This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Toyonobu's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this sheet suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- E.5096-1910
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
