Flying Celestial, second half 17th century, Kiyohara Yukinobu, Japanese, 1643 - 1682, 45 7/8 ¡Ñ 17 5/8 in. (116.52 ¡Ñ 44.77 cm) (image)77 5/16 ¡Ñ 22 1/4 in. (196.37 ¡Ñ 56.52 cm) (mount, without roller ), Ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan, 17th century, A celestial being appears before a rolling bank of clouds, her robes and sashes fluttering in the wind. Although she flies alone, such celestials typically appear in groups, gliding through the air in the vicinity of a buddha, such as Amida (Sanskrit: Amit?bha), the Buddha of Boundless Light. The artist Kiyohara Yukinobu was a grandniece of Kano Tan¡¦y? (1602¡V74), a master of the great Kano house of painters. Her delicate handling of the brush and subtle application of color and gold, apparent in the figure¡¦s flowing robes, is consistent with the style of her great-uncle.