In this painting, magpies, grosbeaks, a hwa-mei, and a red-billed Leiothrix perch and jump among plum branches, bamboo, and camellias on a rocky slope. This type of subject matter was often chosen to indicate the auspicious beginning of the new year. The handling of the bamboo and especially the plum blossoms and rocks is very similar to Pien Wen-chin's brush techniques in both The Three Friends and One Hundred Birds and Birds and Flowers. This painting bears neither the signature nor seals of the artist. Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (1555- 1636) wrote in an inscription on the mounting that this painting is by Chao Ch'ang. However, this inscription is suspect and may very well be spurious. According to the style, this work was perhaps painted by a Ming dynasty court artist imitating the style of Pien Wen-chin.&*石渠寶笈初編(養心殿),上冊,頁658&*故宮書畫錄(卷五),第三冊,頁50&*故宮書畫圖錄,第一冊,頁201-202&*1.譚怡令,〈宋趙昌四喜圖〉,收入譚怡令編,《呂紀花鳥畫特展》(臺北:國立故宮博物院,1995年初版),頁100。 2.〈傳宋趙昌四喜圖〉,收入陳階晉、賴毓芝主編,《追索浙派》(臺北:國立故宮博物院,2008年初版一刷),頁171。 &*畫幅上描繪喜鵲、桑鳲、畫眉、相思鳥,在梅竹、山茶與坡石間穿梭跳躍。就繪畫內容來看,此乃歲朝祥瑞之作。畫梅竹及坡石之技法,與邊文進「三友百禽」、「花鳥」中之景物,甚為相似。尤其是畫梅與坡石部分。 本幅無作者名款,左邊幅有董其昌跋,謂為趙昌之作。但細審此跋,不似董其昌真蹟。依畫風論,可能是傳承邊文進風格之明宮廷畫家作品。