Crane Standing on a Rock amid Waves under Rising Sun

The crane is often paired with the rising sun of the New Year (see lot 91). Here, however, it stands amid the waves, evoking the auspicious motif Ippon Tocho 一品当朝, a visual pun expressing the wish to attain the highest rank at court. A powerful wave surges upward from the lower left, while the crane remains motionless, gazing intently toward the approaching wave. The contrast between the wave’s dynamic movement and the crane’s composed stillness creates a striking sense of tension within the composition.