CC0 · no rights reserved
An eagle on a snow-laden blossoming plum tree
From the collection of National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler). Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
An eagle perches on a gnarled branch, with the shape made by its curled claw echoing that of the setting sun hanging in the hazy, ink-streaked atmosphere. As there are no white predatory bird species native to Japan, the artist likely based this composition on a model from China. He has applied darker ink to the claws, beak, and eyes, as if the essence of the raptor’s instincts is distilled into these razor-sharp surfaces.
National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler)’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineAn eagle on a snow-laden blossoming plum tree. 1568-1615. Soga Nichokuan. National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler), Gift of Charles Lang Freer. CC0.
