Phoenixes by Paulownia Trees

The phoenix, a mythical bird that has figured in Chinese iconography since antiquity, is revered as one of the four miraculous creatures, along with the unicorn, turtle, and dragon. Perching in a Chinese parasol tree (or, in Japan, in a paulownia), eating rare bamboo seeds, the phoenix appears in the world as the harbinger of a superior ruler. It was thus a popular subject for screen paintings and designs on maki-e lacquerware and other craft objects. These felicitous screens, for example, might have been suitable for weddings and other happy events as well as ceremonial occasions.