Click image to view full screen
Birds and Flowers
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
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.
| Artist / Maker | Kano Mitsunobu |
|---|---|
| Date | late 1500s |
| Culture / Origin | Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615) |
| Medium | Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper |
| Dimensions | Image: 155.5 x 340 cm (61 1/4 x 133 7/8 in.) |
| Department | Japanese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Kano Mitsunobu (Japanese, 1565–1608) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
