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Japanese Two Panel Screen: Owl in the Wild

This unusual Japanese two-panel screen, circa 1880, depicts an owl perched high on a bleached and barren tree limb above lush leafy foliage. With a fixed gaze and precisely patterned feathers, the bird is quietly focused, contrasting with the gentle sway of soft green leaves in the lower section of the design. The owl is an auspicius bird in Japanese art symbolising wisdom, intuition and good fortune. Known by its Japanese name ‘Fukurou’ meaning both good luck and protection from hardship, the owl is a beloved bird throughout Japan. The island of Hokkaido is the country’s owl sanctuary and home to ten of eleven native species. This exquisite screen, painted in mineral pigments on a silvered ground, is signed and sealed Akimitsu.