Kimono with Pheasants amid Peonies
Not on view
Vividly colored pheasants and peonies appear against a ground that graduates delicately from light brown to beige, from top to hem. The depiction of pheasants amid the “king of flowers,” as peonies were known in East Asia, has a long history in Japanese pictorial arts and is associated with summer. The auspicious peony motif originated in China and began appearing in Japanese decorative arts in combination with long-tailed birds. Here, rocks, birds, and pink- and apricot-colored flowers are depicted on the front of the kimono, with the left and right halves of the composition almost merging at the back in a modern rendering of a classical pattern. The realistic depiction of the flowers and the birds reflects the influence of Western oil painting.
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