Flowers and Birds － RIght

These gorgeous folding screens depict flowers of the four seasons interspersed with representations of the phoenix. Of Chinese origin, the mythical phoenix has been a common sacred motif in Japanese paintings and ornamentation. The oriental phoenix is believed to drink only the sweet water that springs up in times of peace. It eats ‘bamboo fruit’, which appears only once every 120 years. It roosts only on the branches of the Chinese parasol tree, which is also sometimes known as the phoenix tree. The paintings on the screens are brilliantly executed with superb color sense and assured brushwork. The signature indicates the work was done from September 1784 to May of the following year.