Bird on a branch / Artist Unknown, China

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About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number
2002/2.353
Title
Bird on a branch
Artist Nationality
Chinese
Object Creation Date
circa 1420 - circa 1435
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
China (nation)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
China (nation)
Style/Group/Movement
academic bird-and-flower
Dimensions
21.3 cm x 23.15 cm (8 3/8 in. x 9 1/8 in.)
Century
15th century
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
album leaf
Secondary Object Classification
Painting
Secondary Object Type
bird and flower
Physical Description
A bird (probably a sparrow) perches among peach blossoms, while singing to welcome the spring.
Subject Matter
The tradition of bird and flower painting to which this image belongs dates back to the Tang period (618–907); in the Southern Sung (1127–1279) court it became a dominant mode as emperors themselves took up brushes to produce highly refined, delicate-colored paintings in an intimate format. Throughout their long history, these apparently straightforward and charming paintings conveyed symbolic or allegorical messages for the knowledgeable viewer.
This Early Ming painting executed in the in the style of the Southern Sung court celebrates the dynasty that restored Han Chinese rule after nearly a century of Mongol rule during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). The blossoming pear tree is a symbol of wise and benevolent administration, while the singing bird symbolizes the loyal scholar-official, overjoyed by the restoration of traditional Chinese government.
Primary Keywords
birds
flowers (plants)
trees
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
2497 x 2281
File Size
763 KB
Record
2002/2.353
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2002-sl-2.353/2002_2_353.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2002-SL-2.353:2002_2_353.JPG

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"Bird on a branch; Artist Unknown, China." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2002-sl-2.353/2002_2_353.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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