Birds and FLowers by Unidentified Artist Korean, Joseon period, late 19th century Paintings of birds and flowers have a long tradition in East Asian art. In Korea folding screens depicting standard combinations of birds and flowers became prevalent in the late Joseon period and continued to be popular in the twentieth century. Carefully composed and merticulously detailed, the scenes in this colorful screen are characterized by heightened realism. Each panel portrays one or more pairs of birds resting or flying around a blossoming plant, a tree, reeds. The symbolism of the male-female pairing of birds - mandarin ducks, for example, are known to mate for life - made such screens suitable decorations for a bridal chamber. Beyond domestic bliss, paintings of birds and flowers also embodied wishes for wealth, career advancement, longevity, and fecundity.
