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The Four Accomplishments

琴棋書画図屏風

late 1500s–early 1600s

attributed to Kano Shōei 狩野松栄

(Japanese, 1519–1592)
Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615)
pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and slight color on paper
Overall: 174 x 378.5 cm (68 1/2 x 149 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1979.46
Location: not on view
Public Domain
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Did You Know?

Another candidate for authorship of these screens is Kano Yukinobu (c. 1513–1575).

Description

This pair of screens shows a group of elite Chinese gentlemen and their servants in the countryside. One man is considering his painting-in-progress, while another looks on as two of his companions play a board game. Nearby is a table set with a selection of books and a zither still wrapped in its cloth case, waiting to be played. The mood is one of enjoyment balanced with formality. Historically, playing the qin (zither) or qi (a game similar to chess called go in Japan), and practicing or admiring calligraphy and painting were considered four skills essential for cultured men in China.
The Four Accomplishments

The Four Accomplishments

late 1500s–early 1600s

Kano Shōei

(Japanese, 1519–1592)
Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615)

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