Unidentified painter and calligrapher, Tale of the Fox (Kitsune no sōshi), 1669, handscroll: ink and color on paper, image: 8 1/8 in. × 26 ft. 7 5/16 in. (20.6 × 811 cm), overall with mounting: 8 1/8 in. × 28 ft. 2 9/16 in. (20.6 × 860 cm), overall with knobs: 8 3/4 in. × 28 ft. 2 9/16 in. (22.2 × 860 cm), Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2020, 2020.396.19

The Three Perfections: Japanese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection
Closing Sunday, August 3, 2025
The Met Fifth Avenue, Galleries 223–232

Don’t miss the final days of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s extraordinary exhibition drawn from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection—one of the finest and most comprehensive holdings of Japanese art outside Japan. This donated and promised gift to the Museum features over 160 rare and exquisite works created in Japan across nearly a thousand years.

The exhibition explores the celebrated “Three Perfections” of East Asian culture—poetry, calligraphy, and painting—revealing their profound interplay and enduring influence. Visitors will encounter luminous folding screens adorned with poems on lavishly decorated papers, dynamic Zen calligraphy from medieval Kyoto, and hanging scrolls blending image and text to evoke Chinese and Japanese literary classics. Complementing these are ceramics used in tea gatherings and other objects that reflect Japan’s rich artistic traditions.

This is a unique opportunity to experience the depth and beauty of Japanese art history. Be sure to catch it before it closes!

To learn more, click here.