Morning Glories

Tawaraya Sōri

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This understated painting of morning glories in various stages of bloom shows a fluent use of Rinpa idioms, such as the mottled-ink (tarashikomi) technique seen in the leaves. Also characteristic of the Rinpa aesthetic is the elegantly spacious arrangement of the morning-glory vine within the horizontal composition. Signed “Hyakurinsai Sōri” and accompanied by a seal reading “Genchi,” of the circular type used by Sōtatsu and Kōrin, this is a Rinpa-style work by an Edo painter who has in the past been mistakenly identified with Hokusai.

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