Long-tailed Rooster
Title:Long-tailed Rooster
Artist:Zeshin Shibata
Date:19th century
Creation Place:Asia, Japan
Credit Line:Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.
Accession Number:78.62
Onagadori are roosters specially bred in Japan for their long tail feathers. Here, Shibata Zeshin depicted an extraordinary specimen whose feathers hang to the ground from the rooster's perch on a plum branch. Typical of Zeshin's style, the bird is rendered with superhuman precision, with each feather of its luxurious plumage carefully delineated in lustrous pigments.