Segawa Tomisaburō II as Yadorigi in the Play "Hana Ayame Bunroku Soga"

Tōshūsai Sharaku

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Female roles in Kabuki theater were acted by oyama or onnagata, men who specialized in female impersonation. The skill and ambiguous dual status of such performers were a source of great fascination to the Kabuki audience. Here, for example, the clothing, coiffure, and gesture of the male actor epitomize those of a fashionable and beautiful woman. Indeed, in his imitation of a woman's gesture, the actor tugs at his garment with a sinuous feminine panache more exaggerated than real. Yet, reflecting the contradictory status of the actor, Sharaku has subtly confirmed the distinctively male squareness of Segawa Tomisaburō II's jawline. One of the means by which Sharaku gave his portraits of Kabuki actors great force was the sharp contrast between the figure and the monochrome background. This monochrome consisted of a layer of deep indigo blue ink onto which silver mica dust was sprinkled. As this print demonstrates, the lush background set off the colors of the face and kimono to great effect.

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