Accession Number
1980/2.163

Title
Black Bird on a Branch

Artist(s)
Kanō Naonobu

Object Creation Date
1st half of 17th century

Medium & Support
hanging scroll, ink on paper

Dimensions
41 1/8 in x 14 1/2 in (104.46 cm x 36.83 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Williams, Austin, Texas

Subject matter
Painted by Kanō Naonobu, this painting utilizes negative space and expressive ink wash painting. Much of his work was commissioned by the Tokugawa shogunate and this piece can be assumed to be of the same type. The combination of a bird and bamboo here is a favored subject matter in Japanese ink painting called "bird and flower" painting ("kachôga"). Painters of Kanô school (the official painting school of the samurai class in the Momoyama and Edo periods) executed many paintings in this category.

Physical Description
Depicted in this painting is a black bird perched on a branch. The bird is painted in the center and slightly to the left. It is looking towards the bottom right of the scroll. The branch comes from the left side of the scroll. The scroll is framed with a brown and yellow silk border which has a cloud design.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Birds
Japan
branches
hanging scroll
willows