Mynah Birds
Not on view
A myriad of mynah birds set against the gold and blue of a shoreline is frozen in a moment in time. This is one of few surviving examples of the theme of a flock of mynahs depicted in the screen format. The artist has created an engaging sense of pattern, while using detailed brushwork to imbue each bird with animated expression.
Though not native to Japan, within East Asian literary tradition mynah birds serve as emblems of honesty, independent thinking, and even resistance to unjust authority. Whether this work can be interpreted as political protest is impossible to know, but the unusual iconography, focusing on mynah birds to the exclusion of any other creature or even landscape elements, lends itself to such an interpretation. It also dates to the era when Japanese artists were reformulating continental modes of ink painting to create their own distinct styles.
On view from August 28, 2021–April 24, 2022
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