Most bird prints behave. This one picks a side. A tall red-crowned crane stands against a deep red ground, with pine, plum blossom and bamboo drawn in the Japanese decorative tradition.

Put it on the wall and the room shifts. The red holds the eye from across the room, the cream of the bird softens it, and the black tail gives the whole thing weight. Quiet rooms wake up. Busy rooms find a centre.

It earns a feature wall — above a low bed, behind a dining sideboard, or at the end of a hallway you walk towards. Eye-level or just above.

Pairs well with dark wood, velvet, brass and stoneware. Works against off-white plaster as easily as it does against a deeper painted wall.

On canvas the deep red reads softer and more textile-like, which suits the chinoiserie mood.