Wagtail on a rock

This simple painting of a bonkei ("world in a dish") captures a moment in the ever-changing world of nature. Having arrived from an unseen point, a wagtail perches on a tiny, eroded rock in a bowl and, looking up into the sky, is already about to fly away. Bonkei, miniature landscapes composed of one or more weathered rocks arranged in a tray or dish, are appreciated as embodiments of nature. They are placed both indoors and outdoors at Japanese homes. Kano Tanyu was one of the most important masters in the Kano school, which had been established in the sixteenth century. He produced grand landscape screens and sliding doors for samurai mansions and temples, as well as intimate and unpretentious paintings like this one.