Farmers' Lives in the Twelve Months

Farmers' Lives in the Twelve Months

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rice continues to be the main staple of Japanese diet. During the Edo period, rice production became especially significant: feudal lords (daimyō) measured their wealth by it and peasants were required to pay taxes with it. This screen depicts the process of rice cultivation according to the classic Japanese tradition of presenting human activities through seasonal changes. On the farthest right panel, farmers share rice cakes and tea for the New Year in the early spring. The action then progresses from plowing to planting to harvesting, culminating on a snowy day in the winter when the rice is baled and the warehouse filled. These screens offer a rare glimpse into the lifestyles of peasants and demonstrate how daily activities dictated their material needs.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.