Mynah Birds Attacking an Owl
probably 19th century
Medium
Matted painting; ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 16 9/16 × 19 7/8 in. (42 × 50.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.453
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the serene yet dynamic world of Edo-period (1615–186), Sesson Shūi's *Mynah Birds Attacking an Owl* a tense moment in nature through masterful ink on paper. Thisatted painting, likely from 19th century, 16 9/16 × 7/8 inches exemplifies the refined brushwork of traditional sumi-e techniques.ūkei, working in a period when artistic expression flourished amid social, uses fluid ink strokes convey motion and drama—myn birds swarming a solitary owl in burst of feathers and fury. Birds held symbolic weight in Japanese art, often representing natural hierarchies or moral allegories, with owls evoking mystery or nocturnal wisdom. This scene highlights the Edo era's fascination with wildlife motifs, blending observation with poetic tension. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department as part of the prestigious H. O. Havemeyer Collection (bequeathed in 1929), it invites viewers to ponder the balance of predator and prey in ink's subtle monochrome palette. Step closer to feel the energy: Shūkei's composition draws you into an avian skirmish, a testament to Japan's enduring ink-painting legacy.
About the Artist
Sesson Shūkei · 1500–1600
ca. 1504–ca. 1589