The Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's Role

The Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's Role

Utagawa Kunimasa

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Both Kunimasa and his teacher, Utagawa Toyokuni, produced prints of actors in close-up views (o-kubi-e) around 1795–96. Here, in an arresting image of Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a woman's role, Kunimasa captures a feminine quality in the elegant depiction of the actor's fingers touching the delicate layers of kimono neckbands.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's RoleThe Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's RoleThe Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's RoleThe Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's RoleThe Actor Matsumoto Yonesaburō in a Woman's Role

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.