Interior Scene with Books and Writing Implements

Interior Scene with Books and Writing Implements

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The two-panel format, an innovation of the period, fosters an intimate feeling. Here, the focus is on the contrast between the complex arrangement of implements on the shelves and the simple figure of what appears to be a sleeping child—probably a boy—in unarticulated space. Genre painting enjoyed great popularity from the late sixteenth century until the advent of ukiyo-e prints in the late seventeenth century. This exquisite screen is typical of the Kan’ei era (1624–49), when candid scenes of sensuous and cultivated brothel life came into favor over the previous generation’s preference for depictions of outdoor activities. The dominant image of a bookcase, with its objects of scholarly pursuit—ink, brushes, books, scrolls, a flower arrangement, and incense utensils in the tray on the top shelf—evokes a literati atmosphere.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Interior Scene with Books and Writing ImplementsInterior Scene with Books and Writing ImplementsInterior Scene with Books and Writing ImplementsInterior Scene with Books and Writing ImplementsInterior Scene with Books and Writing Implements

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.