Scenes of Farming

early 18th century

Japanese, 1636 - 1713

In East Asia, a dragon’s blessings were much in demand as the dragon was deemed the rain bringer, crucial for agriculture. In the screen to the right, a powerful dragon blasts through the clouds, sending much needed rain down from the sky as onlookers run for cover. The left screen unfolds scenes of harvesting: a boatful of grain is being transported on the river, and farmers in thatched huts are husking it and happily preparing a heap of rice.

Ink and color on paper

Overall h.: 66 3/4 in.

Overall w.: 142 1/2 in.

Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund

71.4.2

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Thousand Cranes: Treasures of Japanese Art, Feb. 5 - July 12, 1987.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Flights of Fancy: Natural and Supernatural Images In Japanese Art, Dec. 9, 1998 - Aug. 1, 1999.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Textures of Daily Life: Art from Japan,
July 9 - Oct. 21, 2003.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, Dec. 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 16 - Dec. 5, 2021].

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