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
Two hanging scrolls from a triptych; ink and color on silk
Measurements
Overall: 117 x 58 cm (46 1/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1964.157
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

These two paintings are 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 painting on silk features two vertical panels framed by green patterned fabric. In the top scene, a brown bird flies toward trumpet-shaped lilies on our right with its beak open. Below, a small bird perches above a large, multilayered pink peony. Lush green foliage and white blossoms dot the dark, muted background. Fine lines on the aged surface define the feathers and petals, highlighting naturalistic detail.

Birds and Flowers

mid-1400s-early 1500s

Sesshū Tōyō

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

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