Poem by Fujiwara no Ietaka (1158–1237) on Decorated Paper with Bush Clover

Ogata Sōken

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ogata Sōken was scion of a Kyoto merchant family with clients among the capital’s aristocracy. While he trained and achieved competency in traditional styles of Japanese painting and calligraphy, he is best known for siring Kōrin and Kenzan, two of the greatest artists in the chronicles of Japanese art. Here, he has transcribed a travel poem by the courtier-poet Fujiwara no Ietaka. The poem reads: Chigiranedo hitoyo wa suginu Kiyomigata nami ni wakaruru akatsuki no sora No vows were made, but we spent the night at Kiyomi Bay, as the dawn sky breaks over the swell of waves. –Trans. John T. Carpenter

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