Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums
c. 1792–94
Medium
Fusuma panels remounted as hanging scrolls; ink and slight color on paper
Dimensions
each panel: 211.4 × 94 cm · each painting: 167.6 × 91.5 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1970.71
Tags
About this artwork
These paintings were originally mounted as sliding doors (fusuma) used inside a building. The circular areas on the paintings’ paper surfaces are traces of the former positions of the door pulls (hikite). A flock of sparrows gathers on a trellis supporting flowering chrysanthemum. Below is a litter of puppies, some cavorting, others napping. The tender story created by the curious puppy peering up and tilting its head to listen to the bird’s insistent call in the leftmost part of the composition...