洛中洛外図屏風|Scenes in and around the Capital
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper
Dimensions
Image (each): 61 7/16 in. × 11 ft. 6 11/16 in. (156.1 × 352.2 cm) Overall (each): 66 15/16 in. × 12 ft. 3/16 in. (170 × 366.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
Accession Number
2015.300.106.1, .2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 17th-century Japan with *Scenes in and around the Capital* (Rakuchū Rakugai-zu Byōbu), a magnificent pair of six-panel folding from the Edo period (1615–1868). Crafted by an unknown artist using ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper these towering works—each over 11 feet wide and nearly 5 feet tall—unfold a panoramic view of Kyoto, the imperial capital. One screen captures the bustling streets (*rakuchū*, or "within the capital") teeming with merchants, samurai, and festivals, while the other depicts serene landscapes and suburbs (*rakugai*, "outside the capit...