Birds and Flowers

Birds and flowers, is a pair of Japanese six panel folding screens by the artist Kano Mitsunobu from Kano school active during the Momoyama period. Its imagery brings together seasonal flowers, birds, predators and ornamental gold, creating a landscape that is at once observant of nature and shaped by the social ambitions of its historical setting. One of the most compelling features of the screens is their treatment of nature as more than a decorative subject. The paintings' scale and precious materials suggest a conception of painting in which decoration was inseparable from the character of a room and the social position of its occupants. The use of gold grounds could catch and reflect ambient light, making painted interiors appear luminous and expansive. Kano school was one of the most influential painting traditions in Japanese history. The school developed a distinctive approach to painting by combining Chinese inspired ink painting traditions with Japanese decorative techniques, colourful natural imagery and compositions suited to architectural interiors. It was an organised workshop tradition in which artistic knowledge, professional relationships and painting practices were transmitted across generations. Flowers could indicate the time of the year, while particular birds carried associations with prosperity, status, longevity or other auspicious qualities. Their placement within a composition could also create visual and symbolic relationships between different parts of the natural world. Hawks are associated with military prowess, while the peacock and peahen suggest cultural prestige. These associations are significant in a period when the military elite increasingly used art and architecture to express their social position.