Pheasant beneath Paulownia Tree

Pheasant beneath Paulownia Tree

Saien Hōsai (Xiyua Fangqi)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A single pheasant stands upon an outcropping of rocks beneath a paulownia tree whose branch supports a pair of smaller fowl. In this deceptively simple composition, the artist has deployed a wide array of brush techniques. In the pheasant alone the artist has used a dry, controlled brush for the crest; a soft layer of dark, wet ovals over modulated ink wash for the breast; crisp, opaque strokes for the legs and feet; and diminutive dots over translucent sweeps of ink for the back and tail feathers. Xiyua Fangqi, known in Japan as Saien Hōsai, was a Chinese merchant and painter. He is thought to have been from either Jiangsu or Anhui Province, and to have traveled to Japan on a number of occasions beginning about the year 1772.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.