“America,” from the series Five Nations

“America,” from the series Five Nations

Utagawa Yoshimori

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

After the opening of Japan to foreign trade in the late 1850s, artists captured what was, to the Japanese public, the exotic dress and customs of foreign vistors. Yoshimori and his contemporaries created various series onthe theme of the “Five Nations,” referring to the countries that signed diplomatic and trade agreements with Japan: Holland, Russia, France, Great Britain, and America. Often, artists combined fashions from various countries and periods, as seen here.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

“America,” from the series Five Nations“America,” from the series Five Nations“America,” from the series Five Nations“America,” from the series Five Nations“America,” from the series Five Nations

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.