Bowler Hat

Hayakawa Shōkosai I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Among the more unusual works by Hayakawa Shōkosai I is a Western‑style rattan bowler hat made with mat plaiting (gozame‑ami) and other traditional techniques. Favored by Ichikawa Danjūrō IX (1838–1903), the greatest Meiji‑period star of the Kabuki theater, Shōkosai’s hats are a great example of the careful balance he struck between the complex Chinese techniques and his own innovations inspired by Japanese art and Western culture.

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