Chinese Women in a Palace Garden

Kano Eitoku

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this painting, a vivacious scene of Chinese court life, the grace of the palace beauties is accentuated by their poses, especially that of the woman in the center, who slightly twists her body to admire a bluebird perched on the hand of a lady-in-waiting. The palace architecture, a Taihu rock, blossoming cherry and pear trees, and Chinese roses enrich the sense of exotic palace life. The meticulous brushwork of the draperies and the solid texture of the rock indicate a Kano painter of the Momoyama period, one who might have worked closely with Mitsunobu, the eldest son of the great master Kano Eitoku. Formerly the two left panels of an eight-panel screen, they were remounted as a hanging scroll, since the two panels were the works of another artist.

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