Sparrow and Bamboo

Sakai Hōitsu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this narrow composition a sparrow balances on a branchlet of bamboo; the silvery tones of the primary stalk contrast with the dark ink of its leaves and joints. Sakai Hōitsu is best known for his revival of the art of Rinpa-school master Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716) and for his polychrome paintings in the Rinpa style. He was also a master of ink, however, as this lively collaborative work indicates. Kameda Bōsai, a Confucian scholar, inscribed colophons on paintings by several important artists of his day, including Hōitsu and his younger follower Suzuki Kiitsu (1799–1858). Here, his cursive calligraphy appears just below Hōitsu’s perching sparrow. Bōsai often claimed to work while intoxicated, which may account for the hasty but animated quality of his brushwork.

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