Accession Number
1990/1.209

Title
Rooster and Hen

Artist(s)
Nishiyama Kan'ei

Object Creation Date
2nd half of 19th century

Medium & Support
ink and color on paper

Dimensions
19 7/8 in x 15 15/16 in (50.5 cm x 40.5 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Subject matter
Nishiyama Kan'ai is "a skillful painter of landscapes and kachōga."

Roberts, Laurance Page, and John M. Rosenfield. A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer. Weatherhill, 2000.

"Japanese art has a rich tradition in the depiction of flora and fauna. Until the 17^thcentury powerful and myth-like creatures such as dragons, phoenixes, lion dogs, birds of prey and tigers were portrayed as aggressive. This changed however when the influence of the samurai subsided and urban culture began to develop. Rich merchants sought refinement and a sympathetic style and in the artistic rendition of nature docile animals in subtle well-balanced compositions emerged. Flowers and birds became popular subjects, not only for their esthetic beauty but for their symbolic significance as well.
The literal meaning of the Japanese word kachō-ga is ‘images of flowers and birds’. Richly coloured flowers and birds are the focal point of this exhibition that illustrates the origin and development of this decorative genre. Colourful plants and animals embellish the screens, scrolls, albums, illustrated books, fan-shaped prints and graphs dating back to the 18^th and 20^th century."

“Kachō-Ga. The Poetry of Japanese Nature.” Sieboldhuis, 13 Feb. 2019, www.sieboldhuis.org/en/exhibitions/kachōga-de-poëzie-van-de-japanse-natuur.

Physical Description
There is a rooster standing and facing a clump of grass while a hen is sitting behind it facing the opposite direction. There is a seal in the top left corner of the painting and a seal and signature in the bottom right corner.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

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
grass (plant material)
hens
roosters (birds)
sketches