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Kakemono Panels: Man With Swords

This is a kakemono panel (also known as a vertical hanging scroll) containing either text or a painting, intended to be viewed on a wall and rolled when not in use. It was created in 1872 by the artist Utagawa Kunitsuru and depicts a man with swords near a flowering tree. This is one of a set of six paintings displayed in the dining room of Decatur House and remain a part of the Decatur House Collection. After nearly 150 years, they began to deteriorate, but with funding provided by the Sumitomo Foundation, they were conserved to their original state.
Artist
Utagawa Kunitsuru
Date of Work
1872
Medium
semiprecious stones, ink, silk, oil paint
Type
Painting
Credit
White House Historical Association