Jacket with Dragon and Mount Fuji

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The dragon is a fantastic animal that originated in China and spread throughout Asia. The dragon on this jacket is seen among clouds and bolts of lightning in a setting rendered specifically and unmistakably Japanese by the presence of Mount Fuji. The jacket may have belonged to a firefighter in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), which, owing to climactic conditions and combustible building materials, was especially susceptible to destructive blazes. Some scholars suggest that the patterns on firemen's jackets were selected to provide protection to the firefighter. In the case of this jacket, East Asian tradition associates the dragon with water, and the majestic Mount Fuji has long inspired awe.

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