Sword Case (Katana-tsutsu) with Clematis and Checkered Pattern

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Decorative—and expensive—lacquer sword cases were made for carrying the most treasured swords of the daimyo (feudal lords) while traveling. Those made for presentation were especially richly embellished. This example has an elaborate design of clematis vines combined with a checkered pattern on its lower section. Associated with summer, the clematis is considered auspicious in Japan for its ability to climb upward on fences. The stylized, flat maki-e decoration of the case follows the Kōdaiji-style lacquers prepared in Kyoto in the Momoyama period (1573–1615) to suit the taste of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598). Kōdaiji wares and those produced until the 1630s as export furniture for the Western market are strongly connected, as exemplified by the abstract geometric pattern and mother-of-pearl inlay here.

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