Poem by Henjō Sojō

Suzuki Harunobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This impression of a print commonly known as "Cotton Threshing" was made in the early twentieth century, as indicated by the palette characterized by brownish and flat color, presumably after an original print. The charming rural scene shows a yung woman seeding cotton and another carrying it off in a basket. The allusion to a poem by Hen Sojo is cleverly abscure as befitted the urbane patrons of Harunobu's art: These cotton clouds... whose black hair will fall on the sleeves they will become?

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