Happy holidays from the Hammer Museum! Over the next two weeks, we will be sharing holiday-themed artworks for the #HammerHolidays.
In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” seven of the gifts given are birds: the partridge in a pear tree, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, geese-a-laying, and swans-a-swimming. It is even argued that the “five golden rings” that the singer receives on the fifth day refers to a ring-necked pheasant, rather than jewelry.
Birds often appear on Christmas cards and make appearances as Christmas tree ornaments and in many Christmas songs. So if you are stumped on what to give your love for Christmas, try a bird this year!
Utagawa Hiroshige, Sparrows and "sasanka" in snow, 1835-1840. Full-color woodcut. Image: 13 x 4 5/16 in. (33 x 11 cm). Collection for the Graphic Arts, Hammer Museum.