Yukihira and Two Brinemaidens at Suma

Okumura Masanobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Masanobu, a great innovator of ukiyo-e painting, gives the classic tale of the sisters Matsukaze and Murasame a novel treatment. The setting, sketched lightly in ink, is Suma's desolate shore, but the colorful protagonists are characteristic of the "floating world" of Edo's pleasure quarter. Here, the sisters' lover, Yukihira, is portrayed as an urban bon vivant and affects a stylish nonchalance. His flashy robe is patterned with the bamboo blinds of a well-appointed room and features crests of a courtier's cap, furthering the playful fantasy of the Edo townsman as aristocratic lover. A striped jacket and hat, typical of an Edo dandy, are draped on the tree in the background, recalling the fabled pine at Suma where Yukihira once left a robe and cap as parting gifts.

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