Birds and Flowers

花鳥図屏風

late 1500s

attributed to Kano Mitsunobu 狩野光信

(Japanese, 1565–1608)

One of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper

Image: 155.9 x 339.4 cm (61 3/8 x 133 5/8 in.); Overall: 168.5 x 352.2 cm (66 5/16 x 138 11/16 in.); Closed: 172.5 x 61 x 11.3 cm (67 15/16 x 24 x 4 7/16 in.); Panel: 168.5 x 58.7 cm (66 5/16 x 23 1/8 in.); with frame: 171.7 x 355.4 cm (67 5/8 x 139 15/16 in.)

Gift of William G. Mather 1948.128.2

Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

As masters of the Kano academic painting style, both Kano Shōei and Kano Mitsunobu favored Chinese-inspired subject matter, such as birds and flowers.

Description

The landscape depicted in this pair of screens follows a seasonal progression from right to left, starting with the blossoming plum of early spring and ending with late autumn peonies. A variety of smaller birds are positioned throughout the scene, and a trio of swimming ducks is bracketed by early summer irises and early autumn bellflowers at the center. While some raptors (birds of prey) terrorize a pheasant and an egret (a waterfowl) to the right, a peacock and peahen converse to the left. Hawks are associated with military prowess, while the peafowl suggest cultural prestige.