Artwork
元/明 佚名 古木竹禽圖 團扇|Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds
元/明 佚名 古木竹禽圖 團扇|Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds is an ink painting. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This artwork, titled Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds, is an ink and color painting on silk, originally created as a circular fan.
- Accession no.
- 47.18.44
About this work
Technique & Style
Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds is executed in ink and color on silk, originally created as a fan before being remounted as an album leaf.
Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds is executed in ink and color on silk, originally created as a fan before being remounted as an album leaf. Measuring 25.2 cm in height and 25.7 cm in width, the work depicts a landscape genre featuring birds and trees. The piece dates to approximately 1400 and is attributed to an anonymous Chinese painter.
Its formal composition integrates natural elements typical of the period's landscape tradition, rendered on a silk support that has been preserved through its current mounting configuration.
History & Provenance
Created in China around the year 1400, this fan painting mounted as an album leaf is attributed to an anonymous artist of the Yuan or Ming dynasty. The work, executed in ink and color on silk, depicts a landscape featuring birds and trees. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which lists its dimensions as 25.2 cm in height and 25.7 cm in width.
No specific details regarding its original commission, earlier ownership history, or the circumstances of its creation beyond its approximate date and place of origin are provided in the available records.
Context
The painting, titled Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds, is an anonymous fan leaf dated to around 1400 and now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its composition of a gnarled trunk, bamboo stalks, and birds follows the bird-and-flower genre that flourished in early Ming court workshops, reflecting a tradition of anonymous artisans who produced decorative yet naturalistic imagery. Scholarship treats the work as a representative example of this anonymous production, emphasizing its role in the evolution of landscape motifs on silk fans.
The piece's dimensions, medium of ink and color on silk, and provenance from China are documented in museum records, situating it within the broader context of Ming decorative painting.
Overview
This artwork, titled Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds, is an ink and color painting on silk, originally created as a circular fan. Later mounted as an album leaf, it depicts a tranquil natural scene. The piece is attributed to an unidentified artist active during the Yuan or Ming dynasties, reflecting common artistic themes and formats of the period in Chinese painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on an ancient tree, its branches intertwined with slender bamboo stalks, while birds perch among the foliage. This arrangement evokes a sense of serenity and natural harmony. Such depictions of flora and fauna were common in Chinese art, often carrying symbolic meanings related to longevity, resilience, and scholarly virtues, contributing to the artwork's contemplative atmosphere.
Artist & collection
