Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons |
Pair of six-panel folding screens, color on paper Edo period, 18th century Gift of Ii Family |
The unusual folding screens incorporate bamboo blinds. Flowers and birds representing each season are arranged on a gold-colored ground, creating a sumptuous visual effect. Representing the seasonal progression from right to left, as opposed to representing a given moment in time, is a pictorial convention traditional to Japan.