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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2013.61
People
Kano Yūsen, Japanese (1778 - 1815)
Title
Sparrows on a Branch of Nandina in Winter
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
hanging scroll, painting
Date
late 18th-early 19th century
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, Japan
Period
Edo period, 1615-1868
Culture
Japanese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/211962

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; with signature reading "Yusen Hogen"
Dimensions
painting proper: H. 121.4 x W. 44 cm (47 13/16 x 17 5/16 in.)
mounting, inlcuding suspension core and roller ends: H. 186.4 x W. 52.6 cm (73 3/8 x 20 11/16 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: Seal: Hironobu

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[T.Z. Shiota,San Francisco (by 1940)], sold; to Louis V. Ledoux Collection, New York (1940-1948), by descent; to his son L. Pierre Ledoux, New York (1948-2001), by inheritance; to his widow Joan F. Ledoux, New York, (2001-2013), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2013.

Footnotes:
1. Louis V. Ledoux (1880-1948)
2. L. Pierre Ledoux (1912-2001)
3. On long term loan to Harvard Art Museums from 1981 to 2013.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Louis V. Ledoux Collection; Gift of Mrs. L. Pierre Ledoux in memory of her husband
Accession Year
2013
Object Number
2013.61
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Executed in ink, color, and white pigment on silk, this charming painting in hanging scroll format presents a winter scene of a nandina bush with three sparrows perched upon the plant’s snow-laden branches. From the lower left corner of the composition, the woody stalks of nandina reach upwards, culminating in clusters of leave reddish orange berries that appear from afar to be covered in snow, as large unpainted areas of reserved light silk surround the foliage. A pair of sparrows sits huddled together on the bush’s lower branches; they glance upward toward a single sparrow, who rests upon an upper branch and returns their gaze. An ink wash was applied to the silk to carefully darken background areas of the picture field and suggest dark clouds on a snowy day. Splashes of white pigment, representing falling snow flakes, further embellish the winter scene. A signature and red square intaglio seal appear at the lower left, just to the right of the nandina stalks emerging from the ground.

Exhibition History

  • East Asia in the Nineteenth Century, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 03/05/1994 - 08/21/1994

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu