The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 18, 2025
Willow and Magpie
mid-1200s
attributed to Fachang Muqi
Image: 60.4 x 30.9 cm (23 3/4 x 12 3/16 in.); Overall: 137.2 x 48.3 cm (54 x 19 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1982.53
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
This precious hanging scroll is stored in an elaborate inner box of lacquer with raised gold lacquer inscription on lid and silver loops on sides with lavish woven orange cords; its outer box has an amber color with woven tie.Description
The Willow and Magpie is the product of a mindset that combines knowledgeable observation of birds in general and magpies in particular with an image-making process using a sophisticated ink technique to suggest the nature of the bird, the general characteristics of willow, and the visual effect of rain and mist. These are not trivial accomplishments but of equal importance with Southern Song period achievements in lyrical poetry or canal building.- ?–1982(Mayuyama and Company, Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)1982–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review for 1982.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 70, no. 1 (January 1983): 3–55. Mentioned: pp. 3 and 53, no. 86; Reproduced: p. 38, no. 86 www.jstor.org
- The Year in Review for 1982. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 6, 1983).
- {{cite web|title=Willow and Magpie|url=false|author=Fachang Muqi|year=mid-1200s|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.53