“Stainless steel sculpture of a Japanese Red-Crowned Crane in mid-dance. Features contrasting polished wings and a textured, bead-welded body.”
The Japanese Red-Crowned Crane is revered worldwide as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity. This sculpture captures the bird in the midst of its elaborate and iconic courtship dance, frozen in a moment of pure joy with its head thrown back towards the sky and its wings sweeping elegantly upward.
Crafted from bright stainless steel, this piece beautifully contrasts two distinct metalworking techniques. The main body utilizes a dense, beaded weld to represent the bird's soft, voluminous down. In stark contrast, the expansive wings are formed from smooth, highly polished steel plates, reflecting the light to emphasize the fluid, sweeping motion of the dance. Balancing delicately on one foot, the long, spindly legs are grounded by a bespoke base shaped like a lily pad or a gentle ripple of water, completing the wetland scene.
