Morning Glories

Utagawa Hiroshige

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This poem is signed “Gyokō,” a name used by the female poet Sonoda Suejo (ca. 1818–1888). The evanescence of the morning glory (asagao) blossoms, which open in the morning and wither by night, is suggested by this haikai poem: 見るうちの 寿命のばしや 艸の花 Miru uchi no jumyō nobashi ya kusa no hana Even as we watch, their entire lives transpire— the flowering plants. —Trans. John T. Carpenter

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art