Two Pied Wagtails

Two small birds with pale heads and grey-brown plumage perch on a rocky ledge, one partly behind the other, their long tapering tails extending to the right. Fine ink and muted color on brown silk show thin legs gripping twigs against a plain, unpainted ground, in a restrained, delicate painting style.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century?

Medium

Ink and color on silk

Source

Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)

Size

4000 × 3401 px

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