Horse Stableearly 1500s · Study 1934.373

Context from the museum

Prized horses in stables may be the main theme of this pair of screens, but a lot of action is happening on the verandas. Falconry is the focus of one of the screens, while in the other, people challenge one another at two different boardgames, go and shōgi . A lively atmosphere develops in the interplay of the dynamic horses, the birds of prey, and the strategic games.

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

A detail to notice

This is the earliest surviving example of the "horse stable" theme in Japanese screens.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting measurement for Horse Stable is 349.6 cm wide and 146 cm high, equivalent to approximately 137.6 × 57.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 2.39:1. The rectangular bounding area is 5.10 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 116.5% of the span before adding a frame. That exceeds the example wall width, so a smaller reference wall would not reproduce the recorded scale. 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 Horse Stable in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 349.6 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?