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Primary sourcePainting17th century

Wild Geese and Reeds (Right Screen)

Attributed to Miyamoto Musashi · 17th century

A six-panel folding screen painting of geese and reeds, attributed to Miyamoto Musashi and dating from his era.

Attributed to Musashi himself, this screen is presented as a rare example of his own artistic work.

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Six-panel folding screen painting in muted ink and pale tones on a tan background. Pine branches hang at the top left. White geese with dark-tipped wings rest on water and among reeds, with a pine trunk at the far left.
Attributed to Miyamoto Musashi, Wild Geese and Reeds (right screen), 17th century.

About this source

What it is

This is a six-panel folding screen painted in ink with pale tones, showing geese resting among reeds and water with a pine branch above. It is attributed to the swordsman and painter Miyamoto Musashi and dates from the 17th century, the period in which he lived.

Why it matters

Musashi was famous as a swordsman and strategist, but he was also an artist in his later years. Screens like this are rare surviving examples of that side of his life, though experts are not certain the attribution is correct. If genuine, it shows how skills of discipline and observation could carry over from the sword to the brush.

Look closer

  • What mood do the pale colours and empty spaces create?
  • Why might a warrior turn to painting birds and nature?
  • What questions would you ask to test whether Musashi really painted this?

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

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