Reeds and Cranes
Suzuki Kiitsu (1796-1858)
Japanese, Edo period, color on gilded silk screens
Founders Society Purchase with funds from Gerald W. Chamberlin Foundation, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Endicott, Mrs. Howard J. Stoddard, Mr. Howard P. Stoddard, and Mr. and Mrs. Stanford C. Stoddard
79.28

Folding screens, invented by the Chinese to avert drafts and prying eyes, became an important format for Japanese painters. This expansive pair of screens begins with the masterful arrangement of Manchurian cranes among water reeds. Every major master in the Rimpa school executed at least one painting of the "thousand cranes," symbols of longevity. Kiitsu is often considered the last great master of the Rimpa school. His satisfying balance of realism and the decorative application of touches of red, green and blue within a predominantly monochrome palette on a shimmering gold ground make this one of his most popular and exemplary works.