Yuan dynasty Anonymous
Auspicious Grain
- Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper, 190.2 x 67.9 cm
painting, the ears of grain for the plant are especially large and the stems unusually tall and lush, making for an auspicious omen to yield a bumper harvest. The auspicious grain is positioned in the middle of and encompassing the hanging scroll, the subject dramatically presented. The compositional view is also unique, creating an innovative effect.
Besides the ears of grain, the brushwork for the rest of the painting is done in "boneless" washes of light blue and ochre. Single stalks with double ears of grain do not happen often in nature, which is why it was considered before as an auspicious omen from the heavens for a good harvest. This scroll was probably done by a Yuan dynasty court painter.