Two Hawks on a Barren Bough
date: label: Date
content: 16th century
label: Period
content: Ming dynasty
name: label: Artist
content: Formerly attributed to Li Demao (late 12th-early 13th century)
notes: label: School/Tradition
content: Zhe School
label: Label
content: Two eagles, having both staked claims to the same sturdy tree branch, maintain unwavering stances, each appearing ready to confront the other, if provoked. Eagles became associated with noble characters during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). A complete rebus paired an eagle (ying) with a bear (xiong) to form the word for hero (yingxiong). However, many artists considered the eagle's natural characteristics sufficient for conveying a message of heroism.
label: Provenance
content: To 1917
label: Provenance
content: You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1917 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1917 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi in 1917 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 1212, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Beyond Brushwork: Symbolism in Chinese Painting (April 29 to November 26, 2006)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: You Xiaoxi 游篠溪 (late 19th-early 20th century) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: eagle
label: Topic
content: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1917.337
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 109.6 x 87 cm (43 1/8 x 34 1/4 in)