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Primary sourcePainting

Three Friends and a Hundred Birds

Bian Jingzhao

A silk painting by court painter Bian Jingzhao showing pine, bamboo and plum blossom with many birds, reflecting the bird-and-flower art favored at the Yongle court.

Painted by a court artist serving under him, this work shows the artistic style favored at his imperial court.

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Painting on silk of pine, bamboo, and plum blossom branches with many birds of various species perched and flying among them, and sparrows on rocks below. Red seals and inscription columns appear at upper right.
Bian Jingzhao, Three Friends and a Hundred Birds, Ming dynasty.

About this source

What it is

This painting on silk, by the court painter Bian Jingzhao, depicts the 'Three Friends of Winter' — pine, bamboo, and plum blossom — along with numerous birds of different species perched and flying among the branches, with sparrows on rocks below. Red seals and columns of inscription appear at the upper right.

Why it matters

Bian Jingzhao served as a painter at the Yongle Emperor's court, and this work reflects the kind of auspicious, nature-themed art favored there. The 'Three Friends of Winter' were a traditional symbol of resilience and virtue, and paintings like this one show the artistic tastes cultivated under imperial patronage during the Yongle period.

Look closer

  • Why do you think pine, bamboo, and plum blossom were chosen together as symbols?
  • How many different kinds of birds can you spot, and what might that detail say about the painter's skill and patience?
  • What do the seals and inscriptions in the corner tell you about who owned or valued this painting over time?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Yongle Emperor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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