Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)

Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)

Katsushika Hokusai

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The lofty character of Chinese poets as well as the time-honored theme of the poet Li Bo viewing a waterfall are transformed by Hokusai into a joyous, thrilling spectacle of natural wonder. The contrast between the poet's profound absorption and the two boy attendants fussing over him gives the scene its animating piquancy.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō)

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.