Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Japan, ca. 1781/1806 Sumizuri-e print ink on paper ôban tate-e format, sparrows and bamboo. Print illustrated with an excerpt from a Chinese poem by Lu Zhaolin 廬照鄰 (635-689?). "Birds want to perch at the palace gate" - Tingwei men qian que yu qi - 廷尉門前雀欲棲. 34.7 x 22.7 cm