Ichikawa Omezō I in the Role of Yakko Ippei from the Play "Koinyōbō somewake tazuna"

Tōshūsai Sharaku

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Focusing on bust portraits, Sharaku created bold and stylized depictions of Kabuki actors. In this portrait Ichikawa Omezō I (1781–1833), a disciple of Danjūro V, plays a warrior named Yakko Ippei who was unsuccessful in his attempt to defeat his enemy. On his robe the character for "O" in Omezō appears at the center of the Ichikawa family crest of three nested squares.

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