駿馬図 (断簡)|Horse and Groom

Unidentified

14th century · Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This small fragment of a handscroll, now remounted as a hanging scroll, portrays a steed and its groom, a painting subject with a long history in both China and Japan. Pictures of celebrated horses appear individually or in groups on a variety of Japanese painting formats, from scrolls to large-scale works on folding screens and panels, and were held in particularly high regard. Folding screens featuring images of horses, for example, served as a backdrop for the enthroned emperor when he viewed equestrian activities. During the Heian period, paintings of horses that are recorded as having decorated screens used in select rooms of the imperial residence were thought to hold special power and were even rumored to come to life at night.

Artist

Unidentified

Date

14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2021