Japanese Oil Painting, Haniwa Horse & Pagoda, Takahashi, 1980s

Monumental Japanese oil painting, attributed to Takahashi, dating to the 1980s. The composition brings together several motifs in one powerful image: in the foreground, a horse figure inspired by the archaic haniwa terracotta funerary sculptures; beside it, a mask-like form; and behind it, a boat-like figure that recalls the same restrained, rhythmic haniwa visual language. In the background, a pagoda and a traditional Japanese building emerge. The work moves beautifully between figuration and a freer, almost mythical imagination.

Dimensions without frame: height 130.5 cm, width 97 cm, depth 3 cm. Dimensions with frame: height 148.5 cm, width 115 cm, depth 8 cm.

The oil paint is applied heavily and generously in impasto, with built-up layers, pronounced palette-knife texture, and fine incised lines across the surface. This richly worked skin gives the painting not only depth, but also a distinctly tactile, almost sculptural presence. The cool palette of blue, grey-green, and chalk white, combined with earthy accents, creates an atmosphere that feels both calm and powerful.

With its scale, texture, and layered visual language, this work has strong contemporary value as an interior piece. It brings character, atmosphere, and visual tension to a space, and works particularly well as a statement piece in a restrained, eclectic, or architectural interior.

The painting shows normal, honest signs of age and use, consistent with the work and the period.