Stencil
Unknown Artist
Medium
Paper and silk
Dimensions
12 1/4 x 16 1/2 in. (31.1 x 41.9 cm)
Classification
Stencils
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Clarence McKenzie Lewis, 1953
Accession Number
53.101.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate stencil from Japan's Edo period (16151868), housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Asian Art Department, exemplifies the artistry of everyday craftsmanship in a time of cultural flourishing. Crafted from paper and silk, it measures 12¼ x 16½ inches (31.1 x 41.9 cm) and intricate plant motifs—a common theme in Japanese design symbolizing nature's harmony and seasonal beauty. Gifted to the museum in 1953 by Clarence McKenzie, it invites us to appreciate the anonymous skill of its unknown creator. Edo-era stencils, known as *kata*, were essential tools for *katazome*, a resist-dyei...