Artwork Page for Birds and Flowers

Details / Information for Birds and Flowers

Birds and Flowers

花鳥図

mid-1400s–early 1500s

attributed to Sesshū Tōyō 雪舟等楊

(Japanese, 1420–1506)
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Culture
Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Medium
Hanging scroll from a triptych; ink and color on silk
Measurements
Image: 55.9 x 53.4 cm (22 x 21 in.); Overall: 117 x 58 cm (46 1/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1964.157.2
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

This is one of two paintings possibly by Sesshū Tōyō. They once flanked a central scroll with an ink landscape. The unbalanced nature of the compositions, however, suggests they may be images recycled from larger paintings. The one with sweet osmanthus and hibiscus is an autumn scene, the other is a summer scene with daylilies and gardenias. Folding screens often contrast two seasons or depict all four across a single pair of screens. Sesshū’s works were sufficiently prized that repurposing them in fragmentary form to display in an alcove of a luxurious room would not be an unusual choice.
An ink and color silk painting features a scene framed by a decorative green floral border. A large pink peony blooms on our left, while a small bird with a dark head and orange underside perches in the upper center, facing our right. Branches with green leaves and small white flower clusters weave through the composition. Vertical tan stalks against a muted brown surface are rendered with fine brushstrokes, filling the space behind.

Birds and Flowers

mid-1400s–early 1500s

Sesshū Tōyō

(Japanese, 1420–1506)
Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)

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