Two Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and Bamboo

Two Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and Bamboo

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Amid purple clouds, chrysanthemums bloom along a bamboo fence—an autumnal design on these textiles, which were once part of a kosode. The two pieces show signs of having been covered along their edges (and, in the larger piece, by a band going across it), protecting them somewhat from fading and soiling in those areas. This pattern of wear suggests they may once have been used in a Buddhist context, perhaps as part of a Buddhist vestment (kesa). Kosode were frequently given to Buddhist temples upon the death of the wearer and made into vestments or altar cloths.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and BambooTwo Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and BambooTwo Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and BambooTwo Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and BambooTwo Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Chrysanthemums, Clouds, and Bamboo

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.