The Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her Servant

The Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her Servant

Torii Kiyohiro

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two Kabuki actors are identified by the crests on the umbrella. The play Komachi Praying for Rain is based on the legend of Ono no Kamachi, the beautiful poetess of the ninth century. The haiku inscribed around the figures addresses the theme of a sudden shower, comparing it to the power of poetry.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her ServantThe Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her ServantThe Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her ServantThe Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her ServantThe Actors Nakamura Tomijirō in the Role of Ono no Komachi and Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the Role of Her Servant

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.