Small Birds and Bamboo

Kawabata Gyokushō

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Small Birds and Bamboo by Kawabata Gyokushō: A beige-colored artwork with a tan border featuring a floral pattern. Two small birds in flight are depicted. The bird in the foreground is flying to the left; it has a white face and neck, with a black head and wings. The bird in the background is flying above the other bird toward the left; it has a similar color pattern with a darker shade. The birds have long tails. In the bottom right corner, there are several thin, straight lines representing bamboo stalks. To the right of the bamboo stalks, there are four Japanese characters written vertically in black ink. Below the characters are two small red seals. The background of the artwork features a subtle, curved line that resembles a hill or a wave.