Scenes in and around the Capital

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The maplike composition of this pair of screens depicts festive scenes and iconic sites in and around Kyoto, among them bustling streets, temples, shrines, and canals set against a panoramic view of the river, surrounding hills, and suburbs. Screens of this type—encyclopedic visualizations that incorporate renowned scenic spots and monuments that served as settings for seasonal events—are also filled with images of townspeople whose customs, garments, mercantile and leisure activities, and modes of transportation are carefully documented. The majority of surviving Kyoto screens, like this pair, separate the city into east and west. On the right screen, the eastern half of the city and the summer Gion festival dominate the street activity, while the left screen shows Nijō Castle and the city’s western half.

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