Cho'oku Joki

Birds and Flowers

late 15th-early 16th century

Japan

Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper

Image only, H. 28 3/4 x W. 13 1/2 in. (73 x 34.3 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.211

This charming painting of Birds and Flowers exemplifies the combination of Chinese and Japanese aesthetics found in Muromachi-period (1392 - 1568) bird and flower painting. The painting depicts two finchlike birds perched on a branch of a fruit tree while a third bird flies above. The chrysanthemums in the background suggest that the scene may be autumnal. The combination of modulated brush strokes and delicate washes in this painting ultimately derives from Song-period Chinese sources. The sense of vitality and the treatment of flowers, leaves, and other details in a flat, patternlike manner characterizes Japanese art during the 15th and 16th centuries. The inscription at the upper right of the painting reads dai Min yushi Cho'oku Joki shu, "painted by Cho'oku Joki, who traveled [to Japan] from the great Ming [China]."