Stand with Autumn Grasses and Flowers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This stand may have been converted for use in a tea ceremony from a table that would have been placed in front of Buddhist paintings to hold incense burners. It is embellished with autumn flowers and dew-dappled grasses, including chrysanthemums, pampas grass, and Chinese bellflowers. By the late sixteenth century, Kyoto, with its numerous workshops, had become the most important center of Japanese lacquer art. It was at this moment that Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed the way maki-e decoration was applied. The military leader ordered the maki-e decoration of large furniture items, household objects, and interior elements—objects that would not normally have been worthy of such luxurious treatment. By utilizing several relatively simple techniques, craftsmen were able to create innovative, bold designs without complicated underdrawings and could cover large surfaces in a comparatively short timeframe. This flamboyant style was named Kōdaiji after the temple in Kyoto that was dedicated to Hideyoshi and his wife, Nene.

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