Birds and Flowersmid-1400s-early 1500s · Study 1964.157.1

Context from the museum

This is one of two paintings possibly by Sesshū Tōyō. They once flanked a central scroll with an ink landscape. The unbalanced nature of the compositions, however, suggests they may be images recycled from larger paintings. The one with sweet osmanthus and hibiscus is an autumn scene, the other is a summer scene with daylilies and gardenias. Folding screens often contrast two seasons or depict all four across a single pair of screens. Sesshū’s works were sufficiently prized that repurposing them in fragmentary form to display in an alcove of a luxurious room would not be an unusual choice.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Birds and Flowers is 53.4 cm wide and 55.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 21.0 × 22.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.96:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.30 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 17.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 123.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Birds and Flowers in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Hanging scroll from a triptych; ink and color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this near-square composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 53.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?