Spearhead

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Careful workmanship and attention to the natural beauty of the material are evident in many of the tools, weapons, and ornaments found in Jōmon sites. Stone tools, which were first roughly fashioned in Paleolithic times, were by the Jomon period meticulously chipped and smoothly polished, attesting to the ancient roots of Japan's renowned penchant for refined design and workmanship. This hunting implement, for example, is characterized by a carefully formed leaf shape and evenly beveled edges that required great skill and patience to create.

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