Two Brothers Zhang Xiao and Zhang Li

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This extremely rare preparatory drawing presents the story of two brothers, Zhang Xiao and Zhang Li (J.: Chōkō and Chōrei). Li, while searching for nuts to feed his starving mother, was accosted by bandits. Imploring them to let him feed his mother before they killed him, he was permitted to return temporarily, only to have his brother Xiao intervene with the bandits and offer his own life instead. Profoundly moved, the bandits not only set the brothers free but also gave them food.

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