Japanese Silk Scroll

Long scroll where a red-tailed bird has landed amid pine needles.

This japanese scroll painting of birds with pines and bamboo is from Japan, and dates to the 20th century. It is paint on paper & silk. Bird-and-plant painting is a long-established genre in Japan, drawing on Chinese precedents, in which birds are shown among seasonal plants on hanging scrolls and screens. Narrow cream-colored scroll holds a small ink painting, with a bird with a long red tail perched among pine boughs and bamboo-like leaves. Thin lines of script fill the lower corner. The mounting shows soft creases and light wear. It is 15.5 inches wide and 28 high.

A small bird, a long drop, and no complaints.