Artwork
明 佚名 貍奴芭蕉圖 冊頁|Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree
明 佚名 貍奴芭蕉圖 冊頁|Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree is an ink painting. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This album leaf painting, executed on silk with ink and color, depicts two kittens at play beneath a banana tree.
- Accession no.
- 1982.1.3
- Credit line
- Edward Elliott Family Collection, Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1982
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Its setting in a Chinese garden context ties the subject to local aesthetic traditions that valued informal pastimes and the subtle observation of nature.
The painting shows a group of kittens at play beneath a banana tree, rendered in ink and color on a silk album leaf. As a genre scene from the mid‑15th century, it records everyday animal activity rather than mythic or allegorical narrative. The composition emphasizes the lighthearted movement of the cats, reflecting a contemporary interest in naturalistic depiction of domestic fauna.
Its setting in a Chinese garden context ties the subject to local aesthetic traditions that valued informal pastimes and the subtle observation of nature.
Technique & Style
Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree is executed as an album leaf using ink and color applied to a silk support. Created in 1449 by an unknown Chinese artist, the work measures 24.1 cm in height by 24.4 cm in width. The piece belongs to the genre scene classification and depicts cats interacting beneath a banana tree. As a painting on silk, the medium reflects traditional Chinese album leaf practices of the Ming dynasty.
History & Provenance
Created in 1449 in China, this album leaf titled Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree was executed by an unknown artist using ink and color on silk. The work depicts a genre scene featuring cats. While the specific circumstances of its commission and early ownership history remain unrecorded in the available documentation, the piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The album leaf titled Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While the work is attributed to an anonymous Chinese painter and dated to 1449, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, the available documentation contains no record of the artwork's exhibition history.
Legacy
The painting known as Frolicking Kittens under a Banana Tree, an ink and color work on silk dating to 1449, entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, placing it within a public context that has sustained scholarly interest in early Ming dynasty subjects. Its depiction of playful felines reflects genre conventions of the period and has been referenced in studies of animal imagery in Chinese art. As part of the museum's holdings, the work contributes to the broader narrative of how animal motifs were used to convey vitality and moral symbolism, ensuring continued examination of its stylistic and thematic contributions.
Overview
This album leaf painting, executed on silk with ink and color, depicts two kittens at play beneath a banana tree. One kitten clutches a banana leaf with its tiny claws, while the other rests on a rock, its tail neatly coiled. The composition captures a moment of domestic leisure in a garden setting.
Artist & collection
