A Flowery Mirror of Beautiful Women (Bijin ryōka shū) 美人菱花集

Katsura Seiyō 桂青洋

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This illustrated collection of kyōka (witty 31-syllable poems) has a clever title that literally means “A Collection of Beauties as Chestnut Flowers [ryōka or hishi].” But ryōka (water chestnut) also is an abbreviated way of referring to a ryōka-kyō, or metal mirror with floral motifs on the reverse side. The publisher of this volume probably created the title that would add a level of literary allusiveness to this compilation of genre scenes of women and poetry. The frontispiece and one of the illustrations in fact show images of metal cosmetic mirrors.

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