Yamashina Shirojuro in the Role of Nagoya Sanzaemon

Tōshūsai Sharaku

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The samurai in this print wears an overvest (kataginu) with matching trousers (hakama), a less formal ensemble than the jacket (suo) and long trousers (nagabakama) shown in this case. The print, part of a triptych, presents the actor Yamashina Shirojuro in the role of the samurai Nagoya Sanzaemon from the kabuki play Keisei sanbon karakasa (The Courtesan and the Three Umbrellas). In the play, Nagoya Sanzaemon is killed and his son avenges his death.

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