Flowers, birds, and insects
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1909.230
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Charles Lang Freer collectionChinaChinese ArtMing dynasty (1368 - 1644)birdflowerinsect
About this artwork
Bamboo and a variety of flowers, including squash flowers, daisies, camellias, and dandelions, grow in a natural setting. Butterflies, bees, and beetles appear throughout the scroll. A warbler and a pair of finches cling to the flower and berry braches searching for small insects. This well-composed and executed painting, which is based on a Sung work, bears a spurious signature of Ch'ien Hsuan (c. 1235-1300).