The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Birds and Flowers

Birds and Flowers

mid-1400s-early 1500s

attributed to Sesshū Tōyō

(Japanese, 1420–1506)
Overall: 117 x 58 cm (46 1/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

These two paintings are possibly by Sesshū Tōyō. They once flanked a central scroll with an ink landscape. The unbalanced nature of the compositions, however, suggests they may be images recycled from larger paintings. The one with sweet osmanthus and hibiscus is an autumn scene, the other is a summer scene with daylilies and gardenias. Folding screens often contrast two seasons or depict all four across a single pair of screens. Sesshū’s works were sufficiently prized that repurposing them in fragmentary form to display in an alcove of a luxurious room would not be an unusual choice.
  • ?-1964
    Mrs. A. Dean Perry [Helen Wade Greene Perry] [1911-1996], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1964-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 24-October 11, 2020).
    Signs of Affection: Gifts Honoring the Museum's 75th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 1992-January 3, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=Birds and Flowers|url=false|author=Sesshū Tōyō|year=mid-1400s-early 1500s|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1964.157