Unknown Maker, Chinese

As direct products of an artist’s hand and vital manifestations of thought processes, sketches and studies are important teaching tools. These drawings of birds were mounted on a single sheet for easy study and reference. The positions and movements depicted here presented a range of options in the planning of compositions.

Copying is fundamental to East Asian artistic practice, with apprentices and students often using their teacher’s works as models. Printed manuals provided a source for reference for many, including people who were not trained to be artists. Illustrations such as these birds on a maple tree provided detailed brush articulation and exemplary compositions for the uninitiated.