Lily and Butterflies

A hanging scroll in ink on silk shows a tall lily stalk rising beside a weathered rock, with orchid-like leaves and sprigs below. Two butterflies drift in the upper field, and a third hovers near the rock, all rendered in fine, economical brushwork on a soft olive ground.

Look closer: A small seal in red at the lower left edge of the silk.

Artist

Liu Shanshou

Date

1300s

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink on silk

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

1313 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund