Flying Cuckoo

A hanging scroll of pale tan silk frames a fan-shaped sheet of cream paper bearing a small bird in flight at right, its wings drawn in grey ink and light color. Several columns of brushed calligraphy run down the left of the fan, while the soft, minimal composition sits in muted silk.

Artist

Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760-1849)

Date

ca. 1809

Medium

Ink and color on paper

Source

Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)

Size

2347 × 4000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art