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Pheasants
under Cherry and Willow Trees
 Attributed
to Kano Ryokei (died 1645)
Pheasants under Cherry and Willow Trees
Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Nishihonganji; Edo period, first half 17th century
Six-panel folding screen
Ink and color on gold leaf on paper
1979.217.1
The three trunks with exposed roots in the foreground demonstrate a typical
Kano compositional device. The tripartite composition, the sharply defined
forms, and the interest in precise details found in this screen illustrate
the traditional style of the Kano school of painting in the early 17th
century. The technique of creating a gold background for screens, by covering
the surface with paper-thin sheets of gold foil, dates back to the 14th
century. At first, the screens were not painted, but left plain. This
is one of a pair of screens believed to have once been part of the interior
decoration of the Nishihonganji, a prominent temple in Kyoto. The budding
cherry, willow, and pheasants are motifs of spring and play an important
role in Japanese literature.
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