Sparrows and Bamboo
Shiken Saidō (Japanese, 1486–1581)
mid- to late 1500s
Medium
hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
painting: 33.5 × 45 cm · mounted: 115 × 51.6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift from the Collection of George Gund III
Accession Number
2015.457
Tags
male
About this artwork
Shiken Saidō, whose style name was Ze'an, was a Zen monk who trained at Shōkokuji temple in Kyoto, and designed the garden of Reiun’in at Myōshinji temple. He painted landscapes in the style of painter and art advisor to the shogun, Sōami (died 1525), as well as bird-and-flower compositions. A poetic inscription by the monk Ekkei Reikaku accompanies this gentle composition of two sparrows perched on bamboo.