Three Poems from the Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern (Kokin wakashū), one of the Araki Fragments (Araki-gire)

Fujiwara no Yukinari (Kōzei)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The long strands of calligraphy were inscribed without lifting the brush from the paper. Such “unbroken-line” (renmentai) brushwork, considered de rigueur for ladies of the palace during the age of The Tale of Genji (early 11th century), came to characterize much of the period’s poetic inscriptions. The “cloud paper” (kumogami) was made using indigo-dyed pulp, resulting in undulating blue or purple patterns favored as an attractive backdrop for poems.

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