Birds and Flowers
Carefully painted and composed, the scenes on this colorful screen are characterized by meticulous depictions. Each panel portrays one or more pairs of birds resting on or flying around a blossoming plant, a tree, or reeds. Other species appear as well, including insects and the marine life seen in the fifth panel. Many of the motifs have poetic meaning and embody wishes for wealth, career advancement, longevity, and fertility. The symbolism of male-female bird pairings—such as mandarin ducks, known to mate for life—made such screens suitable for wedding ceremonies or a bridal chamber.
Artwork Details
- 작자미상 화조도 조선
- 作者未詳 花鳥圖 朝鮮
- Title: Birds and Flowers
- Artist: Unidentified artist
- Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Date: late 19th–early 20th century
- Culture: Korea
- Medium: Ten-panel folding screen; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image (each panel): 54 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (138.1 x 26.4 cm)
Overall: 73 5/8 in. × 11 ft. 3/8 in. (187 × 336.2 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift and John M. Crawford Jr. Bequest, 1993
- Object Number: 1993.255
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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