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Sparrows and Bamboo
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Shiken Saidō, whose style name was Ze'an, was a Zen monk who trained at Shōkokuji temple in Kyoto, and designed the garden of Reiun’in at Myōshinji temple. He painted landscapes in the style of painter and art advisor to the shogun, Sōami (died 1525), as well as bird-and-flower compositions. A poetic inscription by the monk Ekkei Reikaku accompanies this gentle composition of two sparrows perched on bamboo.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSparrows and Bamboo, mid- to late 1500s. Shiken Saidō (Japanese, 1486–1581), calligraphy by Ekkei Reikaku (Japanese, d. 1609). Hanging scroll; ink on paper; mounted: 115 x 51.6 cm (45 1/4 x 20 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.457
