Large Bowl with Cherry Blossoms and Maple Leaves

Takahashi Dōhachi III

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The combination of cherry blossoms and colorful maple leaves on this large bowl revive the style of Kyoto’s famous ceramic artist Ogata Kenzan (1663–1743). The vivid composition is based on a poem about the Tatsuta River, from the waka anthology Kokin Wakashū (ca. 905). The poet describes fallen autumn foliage drifting on the water’s surface as if it were gold brocade, and cherry blossoms in the Yoshino hills that put him in mind of white snowflakes. The patterns evoke both symbolic images of spring and autumn, as well as two famous sites (meisho) in Japan.

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