Yuan dynasty Anonymous
Hunting Geese
- Hanging scroll, ink and light colors on silk
- 131.8 x 93.9 cm
Surrounded by hills, a group of hunters proceeds along a path. The figure seated on the dark horse to the right appears quite majestic and is accompanied by a guard armed with a lance, suggesting a person of relatively high rank and probably the leader of the group. In this troop, someone has discovered a small flock of wild geese flying in the sky. He has immediately drawn his bow and arrow and is ready to let shoot. One of the others stands and looks up with concentration, while another holds a hunting falcon , ready at any moment to let it stalk the prey. Another group of figures with horses and camels in the background behind the hill seems to be unaware of these hunters as they converse quietly on their way.
The artist here obviously used the desolate surroundings as a backdrop for the solemn atmosphere of this painting. The limited texturing of the hills , sparse trees, and sparing brushwork all successfully create scenery typical of the northern steppes and serve as a subdued background for the tension of the scene. Recorded in a Ch'ing imperial catalogue ("Shiqubaoji "), this painting bears neither seal nor signature of the artist. Since the team here on a hunt is similar to that in "Kublai Khan Hunting" (also on this website), the artist here most likely also was a craftsman at court.
The Yuan emperors enjoyed hunting, and they repeatedly summoned artists to draw such scenes as a record. The Yuan dynasty was a period in which an especially large number of famous horse painters appeared, which was mustache likely to be related to the preferences of the Mongol rulers. In this painting, the image of the leader with his moustache and beard appears similar to that of Emperor Chengzong (Temur, 1265-1307) as a middle-aged man. Based on this hypothesis, this painting was probably done in the early 14th century.