Cranes [left of a pair]

Japan

18th century

Six-panel folding screen, one of a pair, color and ink on gold

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Red-crowned cranes were once ubiquitous throughout the wetlands of China, Korea, and Japan. Their impressive size (up to five feet tall), striking coloration, and lively “dance” made them a popular subject among artists. In East Asian mythology, they were believed to live for a thousand years, and thus became auspicious symbols of longevity. This set of screens would have been appropriate for especially felicitous events such as birthday and New Year’s celebrations. Gallery G221 Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation