The Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in Edo

The Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in Edo

Hishikawa Moronobu 菱川師宣

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Clients in a teahouse watch the courtesans parade along a street accompanied by servants and child attendants. The courtesans walk self-consciously and at a dignified pace as they pass by their admirers. In a delightful visual effect, Moronobu draws our attention to these observers by framing them in windows while partially obscuring them with bamboo blinds. We share in their pleasure of seeing without being seen.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in EdoThe Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in EdoThe Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in EdoThe Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in EdoThe Twelfth Scene from Scenes of the Pleasure Quarter at Yoshiwara in Edo

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.