Quail and Millet

Painters of the Tosa School were purveyors of art to the Japanese imperial court. They worked in an extremely meticulous and refined style. Within the confines of the small picture plane, Tosa Mitsuoki portrayed a rich autumnal scene with a pair of quails, the hen of which has caught a cricket. They are surrounded by ears of millet, hibiscus, balloon flowers, and tsuyukusa (Asiatic dayflower).