Collectors of fish art will like this one — a Chinese scroll painting with genuine charm. Generations of painters returned to the fish, and this scroll shows the tradition in good health. Study it a while and koi, peony and calligraphy emerge from the background, each one carefully observed.
As a fish silk wall art, it sits comfortably alongside much older pieces without feeling like a copy. It is the kind of image scholars once hung for its meaning as much as its beauty: in China the written word outranks all other arts — a good hand was the scholar's calling card. Negative space does half the work — the empty silk around koi lets the subject breathe. One cord, one nail: the scroll hangs flat and true, in the time-honored fashion.
In a study or a corner set aside for quiet, few things serve better. Know someone fond of Chinese brush painting? This is a housewarming gift with real thought behind it. It is a fine example of koi and peony Chinese painting, the kind of piece that grows on you.
