ムクドリ図|Starlings on a Branch
ca. 1887
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
14 1/4 x 10 1/2 in. (36.2 x 26.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
Accession Number
14.76.61.29
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Starlings on a Branch*ムクドリ図 a charming album leaf by Kawanabe Kyōsai, one of Japan's most exuberant 19th-century artists. Created around 1887 during the Meiji period (1868–1912), this intimate work measures just 14¼ x 10½ inches and employs delicate ink and color on silk—a traditional medium prized for its luminous sheen and ability to hold fine brushwork. Album leaves like this were designed for private contemplation, often gathered in folding books for scholars and collectors. Kyōsai, nicknamed "The Demon of Painting" for his wild energy and satirical flair, blended ukiyo-e dynamism...
About the Artist
Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎 (Japanese) · 1831 –1889
Japanese, 1831–1889