Square Dish with Spring Flowers

Ogata Kenzan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kenzan’s major contribution to Kyoto pottery and Rinpa aesthetics was his invention of modes of decoration that drew on his education, paintings of the early 1600s, and illustrated books. The brightly colored, stylized patterns became identified with his workshop. He collaborated with his older brother, Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716), on ceramics featuring Kōrin’s simplified designs of flowers, plants, and figures on square dishes that recall the format of shikishi poem cards.

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