Chinese Bellflowers

Ogata Kōrin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This painted fan, formerly used but saved with loving care and remounted as a hanging scroll, depicts blue and white Chinese bellflowers, Japan's favorite autumnal blooms. Combined with pampas grass, Chinese bellflowers succinctly express the moment when late summer passes into autumn. Although the painting bears a seal reading "Hokkyō Kōrin" ("Kōrin, holding the rank of Hokkyō"), it lacks the spontaneity of the great genius of the Rinpa style and thus may be assigned to one of Kōrin's numerous followers.

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