Beauty on a Snowy Quay

Teisai Hokuba

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An elegant beauty dressed in black has rushed to the snow-covered quay, where a boat is waiting, perhaps with her lover under its roof. Snow is everywhere—on the opposite side of the river, where a torii (gate to a Shinto shrine) is dimly visible; on houses; on the boat; and on the bank where she stands. Breaking the harsh contrast of black against white are the brilliant reds of her undersash, her undergarment, and a clog, which are all delicately outlined in gold ink. Hokuba, who often signed his name Teisei Hokuba, was one of the most successful pupils of the great master Hokusai. A prolific artist, almost up to his teacher's caliber, Hokuba produced many paintings and prints.

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