Palindromic Poems (Kaibunka): Kyo

Suzuki Harunobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the right-hand section of this triptych the actor Nakamura Tomijūrō stands in front of a koto. A cherry tree blossoms outside. The palindrome above reads: Kishihi koso matsu ka mikiwa ni koto no ne no toko ni wa kimi ka tsuma zo kohishiki As in times past, waiting, the pine on the shore, true as the sound of a koto's strings you are as dear to me as a wife. This triptych of three famous onnagata Kabuki actors, each posed representing one of the major cities in Japan, cities that were centers of merchant culture, is a tour de force of work and image play. The poems at the top of each sheet are palidromes, poems that read the same forward and backward. The actors are paired with a domestic object that puns or alludes to the more idealized imagery of the poem: the smoke from an incense burner with that of a spring mist; the treasure boat in a New Year's print with distant boats on the waves; and the koto with a reference to the pure sound of the instrument.

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