四季花鳥図屏風|Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons
Unknown Artist
late 16th century
Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper
Dimensions
Image: 63 1/4 in. × 11 ft. 10 in. (160.7 × 360.7 cm) Overall: 69 3/8 in. × 12 ft. 4 1/2 in. (176.2 × 377.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Momoyama period (1573–1615)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke and Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Gifts, 1987
Accession Number
1987.342.1, .2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Birds and Flowers of Four Seasons* (四季花鳥図風), a pair of-panel folding screens crafted by an unknown artist in late 16th-century Japan during the vibrant Momoyama period (157–1615). These works, measuring nearly 12 feet wide when unfolded, vividly capture the beauty of nature across the seasons through delicate birds—like graceful cranes symbolizing longevity—and blooming flowers amid lush trees. The gold leaf backgrounds shimmer like a golden mist, evoking infinite space and seasonal transitions, a hallmark of Momoyama opulence. Masterfully executed in ink, color, and gol...