Pieces from a Robe (Kosode) with Autumn Grasses

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These textiles have a lighthearted pattern of various autumn grasses, including Chinese bellflowers (kikyō), bush clover (hagi), and miscanthus grass (susuki) on a background of large triangular shapes. The pieces were once part of a robe (kosode). The textiles share the simplified, somewhat flattened style consistent with designs called "Kōrin patterns" (Kōrin moyō) after the great Rinpa artist Ogata Kōrin (1658–1715). Beginning in the 1710s, kosode pattern books often labeled designs "kōrin," though they used homophonic characters for the syllable "-rin" rather than the actual character of the artist’s name. One such reference occurs in a book of 1716, Hiinagata kiku no i (Pattern Book: Chrysanthemum Well). Among its several designs for kosode with backgrounds of triangular shapes similar to those seen here is one labeled "kōrin."

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