Incense Box with Scene from Noh Play Kokaji

Incense Box with Scene from Noh Play Kokaji

Koma School

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The cover and inside tray illustrate a famous Noh play based in the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. In the play, the emperor receives an oracle in a dream and the famous sword maker Kokaji forges a sword with the help of a Shinto deity. This deity appears as a fox; however, on the cover of the box, both figures are shown in human form. An inscription on the bottom of the box indicates that it was produced in the style of Koma Kansai II (1767–1835) by one of the many artists who worked in this tradition and often used the name of the original master.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Incense Box with Scene from Noh Play KokajiIncense Box with Scene from Noh Play KokajiIncense Box with Scene from Noh Play KokajiIncense Box with Scene from Noh Play KokajiIncense Box with Scene from Noh Play Kokaji

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.