Horse Racing at Kamo Shrine

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Beginning in the ninth century, an annual horse race was held in early spring as part of festival celebrations at the Upper Kamo Shrine in Kyoto. People from all walks of life—courtiers and court ladies, samurai, and commoners—enjoyed the festivities. The race (Kamo kurabeuma) was a great spectacle, and an opportunity for aristocratic riders to demonstrate their riding skills and show their best horses. Many in attendance seem in rapt attention to the main event, while other vignettes depict people engaged in an array of activities. This set of screens was produced probably sometime during or around the Genroku era (1688–1704), a period associated with developments in luxury and fashion trends.

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