Pleasure Boat on the Sumida River

Torii Kiyonaga

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this composition, kabuki actors and beautiful women attend a party on a roofed boat during a summer evening. Several other boats approach, their excited passengers hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity performers, who are entertained by a dancing monkey. Decorations on the glamorous boat include an ambitious floral arrangement featuring pine, irises, and peonies and colored paper lanterns.

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