Stencil

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The tiny scattered pattern of this stencil consists entirely of two characters from the katakana syllabary, ki and ri. The curve of the lines that form the character ri adds a dynamic rhythm and movement to the design. Since Japanese is full of homonyms, several words can be formed from these two characters, but the most appropriate to the pattern may be kirikiri, a mimetic word referring to speediness and spinning.

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