Artwork Page for Bird on Pomegranate

Details / Information for Bird on Pomegranate

Bird on Pomegranate

石榴上的鳥兒

1700–1750

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911)
Medium
Multicolor woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
30 x 37.4 cm (11 13/16 x 14 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.108
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 woodblock print in muted tones on cream paper depicts a bird with a black head and green back perching on a pomegranate branch. The bird gazes toward the lower left. The branch curves across the center, bearing yellow fruits, pale white blossoms, and greenish-gray leaves. Five vertical columns of Chinese calligraphy are printed in black ink at the upper right, while the cream-colored paper provides an expansive, empty backdrop.

Bird on Pomegranate

1700–1750

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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