Body ornament

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

By the Middle Jōmon period, the food supply in Japan had stabilized enough that the Jōmon people could focus their activities more on crafts and spiritual life. This led to the development of a wide variety of body ornaments, including necklaces and hairpins, some of which feature very elaborate designs. It is speculated that body ornamentation may have served a religious or spiritual purpose, but it may also have represented social rank and status.

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