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Gala Bell
Shiranui II 不知火

2023

About the Item

Shiranui II 不知火 (2023) by contemporary artist Gala Bell. Oil on silk, 65cm x 65cm. Shiranui 不知火 meaning 'unknown fire', is an atmospheric ghost light told about in Kyushu. They are said to appear on days of the noon moon such the kaijitsu the 29th or 30th day of the seventh month of the lunisolar Japanese calendar when the wind is weak, in the Yatsushiro Sea and the Ariake Sea. The phenomenon persists in the present day, with the strange lights having been determined to be an atmospheric optical phenomenon. In the Taishō era, Shiranui attracted the attention of many people, including scholars and newspapermen, who attempted to explain the phenomenon scientifically, and have been explained as a type of mirage that was either light reflected from the reflection of star light, luminous jellyfish, fire from an undersea active volcano or light of fishing boats.
  • Creator:
    Gala Bell (1989, British)
  • Creation Year:
    2023
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 25.6 in (65 cm)Width: 25.6 in (65 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2146211866942
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