Eagle on Rock by Waves, first half 19th century, Mochizuki Gyokusen, Japanese, 1794 - 1852, 53 11/16 ¡Ñ 109 7/16 in. (136.37 ¡Ñ 277.97 cm) (image), Six-panel folding screen; ink on paper, Japan, 19th century, Birds of prey have been painted to convey various political and social messages since the Tang dynasty (618¡V907). A solitary eagle grasping a crag surrounded by a turbulent sea is said to have been first painted by L? Ji §f¬ö (b. 1477). The subject was known in China as qingchao duli ²M´Â?¥ß, meaning ¡¥standing alone in a clean court¡¦ or ¡¥standing alone in clean tides.¡¦ Qingchao duli was intended to encourage courtiers to maintain moral integrity amid a treacherous and corrupt court. It is difficult to ascertain whether the artist of this work intended to impart such a specific message to his audience in Edo-period Japan (1603¡V1868), where birds of prey generally symbolized the power and authority of the military class.