Pair of Pheasants with Weeping Cherry Tree
糸桜に双雉之図
Watanabe Seitei · Taisho era (1912-1926) · Hanging scroll
Image: Source: Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (Work page (opens in a new tab)) (reduced in size on this site) CC0 (opens in a new tab) View larger
A hanging scroll in color on silk by Watanabe Seitei, from the Taisho era. It shows a male and female pheasant standing beneath a weeping cherry, and its highlight is a modern beauty that omits the color of the foreground field. Tokyo Fuji Art Museum owns it.
- Artist
- Watanabe Seitei
- Date
- Taisho era (1912-1926)
- Medium / format
- Hanging scroll
About this work
From the top of the tall composition weeping cherry branches hang down, bearing white blossoms. Below, a yellow-green field spreads out, where a male pheasant with a deep green body and red face stands, and behind him a brown female spreads her wings. Bracken grows in the field.
According to the museum's commentary, by omitting the color of the foreground field and blurring the trunk in the background, an effect arises as if a lens were focused on the male's head, and one can see Seitei's distinctive, modern, stylish beauty. Vivid red and deep green are used on the male pheasant, and it is carefully finished down to the mottling of its feathers.
An anecdote also survives that Seitei himself explained how to bring out colors to a mounter. Seitei was born in Kanda, Edo, worked on designs for export crafts, went to Europe in time for the Paris Exposition and stayed about two years, associating with Degas and others. The scroll is 129.0 cm high and 50.0 cm wide.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
Plan your visit to Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
Find places to stay, activities and rental cars for a visit to Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, which holds "Pair of Pheasants with Weeping Cherry Tree".
Frequently asked questions
- Who painted Pair of Pheasants with Weeping Cherry Tree, and when?
- Pair of Pheasants with Weeping Cherry Tree is by Watanabe Seitei, made in Taisho era (1912-1926). Medium: Hanging scroll.
- Where can I see Pair of Pheasants with Weeping Cherry Tree?
- It is held by Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Japan Search (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
More from Tokyo
Discover more of the same region on our sister sites.