Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Tales of Ise (Ise Monogatari) is a tenth-century collection of some 125 brief tales in which poems are the central element. Together with the Kokinshū, the first imperial compilation of poetry (ca. 905), it was a requisite part of a literate person's education for over eight centuries until the modern ear. Sumptuously illustrated manuscripts such as this set of three books would have been a prized part of a dowry and a proud possession of an upper-class family. In this example, forty-nine jewel-like miniatures rendered in brilliant mineral colors and framed in stylized cloud bands of sprinkled gold foil follow widely used conventions of the Tosa-school artists.

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