Hawks, pheasants, ducks, quail, egrets, and other birds appear frequently in Japanese paintings. With roots in the Chinese “bird and flower” genre, some are traditionally associated with a particular season or sentiment; others were chosen by artists and patrons simply for their beauty.

The paintings currently on view in the Tateuchi Japanese Galleries use birds as both decorations and symbols, representing the seasons, strength, longevity, fidelity, or good fortune. They include decorative rimpa-style paintings; large, Kano-style screen paintings; and intimate hanging scrolls decorated in ink and faint colors.

Image: Quail and millet, by Tosa Mitsuyoshi (Japanese, 1770 – 1772). Edo period (1615-1868). Ink and colors on silk. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Jeanne G. O’Brien in memory of James E. O’Brien, 1993.33. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.