Page 177 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

101 102

loo Birds in a plum tree paintings, though not condoned today, famous artist of the Southern Song Paint-
attributed to Ma Lin (fl. c. 1250-1260) was practiced by the Ashikaga shoguns. A ing Academy, Ma Lin is described in Chi-
hanging scroll; ink and color on silk well-known instance is the handscroll The nese accounts as a painter less gifted than
27.6 x 28.0(107/8 x 11) Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang in the col- his father. Extant works by Ma Lin are
Southern Song, mid-i3th century lection of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa; few. A landscape painting entitled Land-
each of the eight views was cut and scape at sunset in the Nezu Institute of
Goto Museum, Tokyo mounted as a separate hanging scroll. Fine Arts, Tokyo, signed Chen Ma Lin (His
Important Cultural Property
This painting is stamped at the upper majesty's servant Ma Lin), is perhaps the
left with a square intaglio seal, Zakkashitsu- finest work by him. YS
This intimate view of two small birds in, which has been identified as the collec-
perched in a plum tree forms a pair with tion seal of the sixth Ashikaga shogun,
another painting of two sparrows in a tree, Yoshinori (1394-1441). Thirteen other Chi-
now in a private collection. The two are nese paintings now dispersed in various
assumed to have been cut from a larger Japanese collections have this seal.
painting and made into smaller, unobtru- Ma Lin, to whom this painting is at-
sive images suitable for viewing at tea tributed, was active in the reigns of the
gatherings or for a space in a private study. emperors Ning Zong (r. 1195-1224) and Li
Cutting up or cropping imported Chinese Zong (r. 1224-1264). A son of Ma Yuan, the

164