Peafowl and Phoenixes, late 1500s. Attributed to Tosa Mitsuyoshi (Japanese, 1539-1613). Pair of six-panel screens; ink, color, and gold on gilded paper; overall: 173.1 x 374.4 cm (68 1/8 x 147 3/8 in.); overall: 175.9 x 377.2 cm (69 1/4 x 148 1/2 in.). Phoenixes are fantastical birds said to inhabit paulownia trees and eat bamboo, and to celebrate virtuous rulers. Peafowl are birds that amuse themselves in the lake of the Buddha Amidas Pure Land, a paradise where many once hoped to find themselves after death. Both birds appeared on Japanese textiles or paintings in the 1500s and 1600s, used in official ceremonies centered around emperors.