Bird and Bamboo

In this simple composition, Chao Shao-an depicted a bird perching on a bamboo branch. The bird’s fleshy head, long stick-like tail, and sharply twisted claws give it an animated look. In classical paintings, the bamboo grove is a conventional setting to depict the joy legendary sages found in the eternal verdancy of nature, while the long-tailed bird, sometimes calling to mind a pheasant, symbolizes long life. The artist integrated these two into a harmonious synthesis.

Inscribed:

The scenery includes a symbol for long life.

Together they express a heart that does not falter.

—The lunar Xinyou year [1981], fifth month. Shao-an