Cherry, Plum and Willow Trees

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Originally the right half of a pair, this screen depicts flowering trees and a budding willow that convey the joyous spirit of spring. It includes three large cherry trees near the center and a slender branch laden with plum blossoms that belongs to a tree originally depicted on the lost left screen. Large cherry and plum blossoms are raised in low relief using gofun (ground seashell pigment). A sinuous willow tree stands in the middle of the composition, with cascading young leaves in pale green. A cluster of small dandelions fills the lower left corner. The slender and gently swaying tree trunks; the grouping of the trees in the center rather than to a side (as is usual in folding screens); and the soft curves of the scalloped edges of the gold clouds all point to an artist working close to Kano Mitsunobu (1565–1608), eldest son of the great Momoyama period master Eitoku (1543–1590).

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