West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang
西湖春景銭塘観潮図屛風
Ike no Taiga · 18th century (Edo period) · Folding screen
One screen of a pair. Image: Source: ColBase (Work page (opens in a new tab)) (reduced in size on this site) Public Data License 2.0 of the Government of Japan (compatible with CC BY 4.0) (opens in a new tab) View larger
The Important Cultural Property "West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang" by Ike no Taiga is a pair of 18th-century (Edo period) screens in light color showing West Lake in Zhejiang, China, in spring and people watching the tidal bore on the Qiantang River. It is held by the Tokyo National Museum.
- Artist
- Ike no Taiga
- Date
- 18th century (Edo period)
- Medium / format
- Folding screen
About this work
This pair of screens depicts West Lake in spring on the right screen and people watching the tide on the Qiantang River on the left screen. It is light color on paper, and each screen measures 166.5 x 371.0 cm. It is designated an Important Cultural Property. West Lake is a lake west of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China, long known for its beautiful scenery and taken as a subject by many painters.
The Qiantang River is also in Zhejiang Province, and at high tide in the eighth lunar month it is said to turn into a high tide with seawater surging strongly upstream. The picture shows people watching this.
Pale yellow, indigo, green, and reddish colors are placed here and there on the trees, rocks, houses, and people, so that the water and greenery seem to shine in the light. When painted, the paper was whiter and the colors are thought to have been more transparent. In the image of the one screen shown here, rocks and pines are painted at the left in ink and light color, and the right half is left blank.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
- Tokyo National MuseumMuseum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)
Taito City, Tokyo Accession no. A-1195
Plan your visit to Tokyo National Museum
Find places to stay, activities and rental cars for a visit to Tokyo National Museum, which holds "West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang".
Frequently asked questions
- Who painted West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang, and when?
- West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang is by Ike no Taiga, made in 18th century (Edo period). Medium: Folding screen.
- Where can I see West Lake in Spring, High Tide at Qiantang?
- It is held by Tokyo National Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- ColBase (Tokyo National Museum) (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
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