Artwork Page for Waxbills

Details / Information for Waxbills

Waxbills

臘轉春回 - 蠟嘴鳥

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
38.3 x 30 cm (15 1/16 x 11 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.109
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Woodblock printing in color reached a height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. The prints were executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.

Description

In the 1600s, printing flourished in such Jiangnan cities as Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huizhou, evolving from privately enjoyed illustrated books printed in color to more commercialized single-sheet color prints that were hung on walls and became part of the rich urban visual culture.
A polychrome woodblock print on aging cream paper depicts two black birds with yellow bills perched on a gnarled gray branch. The foremost bird faces right, while the second tilts its head downward. Muted pink blossoms sprout from spindly branches, balanced by a large peach flower at the right. Two columns of black calligraphy occupy the upper right corner. Mottled brown stains appear across the print's background, suggesting its age.

Waxbills

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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