Willows are plants that herald the arrival of spring and have been loved since ancient times in the Japanese culture. Swallows are summer birds that migrate to Japan from the south around mid-March, when crops begin to grow. They are considered beneficial birds to people because they eat a lot of harmful insects, and it is said that when swallows build nests, that year harvest will be good, so they are treasured as symbols of prosperous and good fortune. This work depicts a pair of swallows flying near a willow tree, depicting an early summer scene. |