Ghosts of the Taira at Daimotsu Bay

Ghosts of the Taira at Daimotsu Bay

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The sea itself seems to convulse as an army of ghosts emerges in the distance to menace a ship full of warriors of the Minamoto clan, recalling an ancient battle. In spring of 1185, the Minamoto clan vanquished the rival Taira clan in a decisive sea battle, ushering in a period of warrior rule. Kuniyoshi describes the Taira ghosts with fluid forms in a soft palette, a contrast to the vivid colors and razor-sharp clarity of the foreground. Kuniyoshi often used silhouette—itself a symbol of evanescence—as a method of depicting such ethereal subjects as ghosts, around which developed a genre that became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ghosts of the Taira at Daimotsu BayGhosts of the Taira at Daimotsu BayGhosts of the Taira at Daimotsu BayGhosts of the Taira at Daimotsu BayGhosts of the Taira at Daimotsu Bay

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.