Waves of life in gold clutch

Description

While most recognise the iconic waves of Kanagawa in the Ukiyo-e prints, this piece pays homage to the waves painted by Song dynasty artist Ma Yuan （马远） from the 12th century–someone who is credited with pioneering the painting of waves in Chinese paintings. The Song dynasty is known for its understated taste driven by its emperor and literati. There is a 1908 Japanese print book that documented a range of wave designs and this si one of the traditional ones in that collection!