Waxwings, Cherry Blossoms, and Bamboo

Kiyohara Yukinobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kiyohara Yukinobu was known in the early Edo period as a “woman highly accomplished in the arts,” or keishū. Her husband was a pupil of Kano Tan’yū, one of the most prominent painters of the age, and she herself, as Tan’yū’s grandniece, may have studied with him. Here, she depicts three waxwings (Japanese: hirenjaku) in various poses: one rests serenely on the branch of an aged cherry tree in full bloom, indicating a late spring setting; one is captured in flight; and the third perches on a rock, espying insect prey in a stream. Since waxwings, after mating, rub their heads together in a way that suggests a display of mutual affection, they came to be a symbol of marital harmony and familial prosperity, which is one possible interpretation of the painting.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art