The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Koto

early to mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
Wood with colored lacquer, sprinkled gold powder (maki-e), glass, textile and cord
Overall: 117.8 cm (46 3/8 in.); Widest end: 23.8 cm (9 3/8 in.)
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr. 1918.359.a
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The koto descended from the guzheng, a Chinese zither first imported to Japan in the seventh century.

Description

This koto has an elaborately decorated surface, suggesting that it was meant to be admired as a decorative object rather than played as a musical instrument. The vertical design shows a profusion of chrysanthemum and miscanthus grass above a brushwood fence as well as a pair of butterflies.
  • ?–1918
    Ralph King [1855–1926], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1918–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • "Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 5, no. 8/9 (October 1918): 82–85. Mentioned: p. 82 www.jstor.org
    Moore, Douglas S. "Exhibition of Musical Instruments." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 8, no. 9 (November 1921): 134–143. Mentioned: pp. 134–137 www.jstor.org
  • {{cite web|title=Koto|url=false|author=|year=early to mid-1800s|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1918.359.a