Huang Chu-ts'ai:
Mountain Magpie, Sparrows and Bramble
Huang Chu-ts'ai (933 - after 993), Po-luan by style name, was a native of Ch'eng-tu, Szechwan province. As the son of Huang Ch'uan, the master of bird-and-flower painting from the Five Dynasties period, he inherited the painting skills of his father and accomplished remarkable achievements in works of this category. The painting style developed by the father and son became the criterion of bird-and-flower painting produced by the Imperial Painting Academy from Sung times onward. This piece, tinted in subdued colors, are executed in gentle yet firm brushstrokes that are slightly naive. It is an excellent example of early bird-and-flower painting that not only embodies decorativeness but is also imbued with an archaic and unaffected atmosphere.

P56 Huang Chu-ts'ai: Mountain Magpie, Sparrows and Bramble Sung dynasty hanging scroll/ink and color on silk artwork : 99.0 x 53.6cm hanging scroll : 209.0 x 67.1cm 66,000yen