Couplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai Juyi

Couplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai Juyi

Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A scroll with boldly inscribed Chinese characters by or attributed to a prominent Zen monk such as Motsurin Jōtō would have been used for display in an alcove during a tea ceremony. Motsurin Jōtō, or Bokusai, was a close disciple of the famous Zen monk Ikkyū (1394–1481) of Daitokuji. Because of this close connection, Motsurin’s briskly brushed calligraphy closely resembles that of his master. Here he has brushed a couplet by the Tang poet Bai Juyi (772–846): Wild grasses spread out far across the plains. Each year they wither, only to flourish again. —Trans. John T. Carpenter

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Couplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai JuyiCouplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai JuyiCouplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai JuyiCouplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai JuyiCouplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai Juyi

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.