Sparrows and Bamboo

About the Artwork

Shiken Saidō, whose style name was Ze'an, was a Zen monk who trained at Shōkokuji temple in Kyoto, and designed the garden of Reiun’in at Myōshinji temple. He painted landscapes in the style of painter and art advisor to the shogun, Sōami (died 1525), as well as bird-and-flower compositions. A poetic inscription by the monk Ekkei Reikaku accompanies this gentle composition of two sparrows perched on bamboo.

Inscriptions

signed: Ekkei Reikaku daishi owaru inscription sealed: Reikaku

Provenance

?–2015: George Gund III [1937–2013], bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art 2015–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 21-September 3, 2017).

Quick Overview

Artist: Shiken Saidō (Japanese, 1486–1581)
Date: mid- to late 1500s
Medium: hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions: Mounted: 115 x 51.6 cm (45 1/4 x 20 5/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Japanese Art
Credit line: Gift from the Collection of George Gund III
Accession no.: 2015.457

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.