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Birds and Flowers
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBirds and Flowers (花鳥図屏風), late 1500s. Attributed to Kano Mitsunobu (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.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of William G. Mather, 1948.128.2
