Collectors of bamboo art will like this one — a Chinese scroll painting with genuine charm. The bamboo gives the scroll its character — familiar, yet painted as if seen for the first time. From a distance it's one image; up close it's bird, bulbul and colorful gongbi, each worth a look on its own.
As a colorful gongbi bamboo painting, it sits comfortably alongside much older pieces without feeling like a copy. People who collect this genre will read the meaning at once — bamboo stands for resilience and upright character — it bends without breaking. Expect lively, varied color throughout; the restraint is deliberate, and it works. Stand back and the whole holds together; step close and bird rewards the visit. The upright scroll format fits the scene — read from top to bottom, as the painter meant.
A frameless hanging scroll in the classic style — give it a wall and it becomes the room's calm center. It belongs in calm company: beside a bookshelf, over a tea table, or above a low sideboard. It is a fine example of bird and bulbul Chinese painting, the kind of piece that grows on you.
