Jar

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the second century B.C., an influx of people from the continent brought the first of several waves of foreign influence that have shaped Japanese culture, initiating a more advanced cultural stage known as Yayoi. When rice cultivation and bronze and iron metallurgy were introduced, probably through Korea, the isolated and self-sufficient life of the Jomon gave way to a communal society organized to carry out the demanding agricultural cycle. Architectural styles and ornamental motifs reflect other influences from southern China and the Pacific islands stretching from Kyushu to Taiwan. The social and aesthetic character of the transformed culture of Yayoi is vividly reflected in its ceramic vessels. The finely articulated shape of this storage jar from the Nagoya area, with its bulbous form rising from a small, flat base to the flaring rim of its wheel-turned neck and mouth, is enhanced by the burnished surface of its warm red body. The irregular, vigorous shapes of Jomon vessels have been replaced by sturdier, more functional ones in which symmetry is of paramount interest.

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