Birds and Flowers of Autumn and Winter - Kano Chikanobu

A reproduction of a pair of Edo period folding screens by Kano Chikanobu, featuring seasonal birds and flowers set against gold leaf.

This work is a fine example of the Kano school, a dominant style of Japanese painting during the Edo period. The composition is presented across a pair of six-panel folding screens, known as byobu. The artist employs a technique where the imagery is contained within two large, fan-shaped cartouches set against a background of gold leaf. This decorative approach creates a distinct separation between the natural subjects and the surrounding space.

The left screen depicts autumn, featuring a kingfisher perched on a flowering branch above a stream, with ducks resting in the water. The right screen represents winter, showing a dense arrangement of chrysanthemums and other seasonal flora. The use of gold leaf provides a reflective surface that alters the appearance of the painting depending on the light in the room. The Kano school was known for its technical precision and its ability to adapt traditional Chinese ink painting methods to the tastes of the Japanese shogunate and aristocracy.

Kano Chikanobu, a member of the influential Kano lineage, demonstrates the characteristic balance of the school. The brushwork is controlled, and the colour palette is applied with care to ensure the forms remain clear against the metallic ground. The inclusion of water elements and specific seasonal plants follows established iconographic traditions in Japanese art. This print captures the detail of the original screens, preserving the contrast between the dark, flowing water and the bright, gilded paper. It provides a view into the aesthetic priorities of the period, where nature was often organised into structured, symbolic arrangements for interior display.