Komachi Praying for Rain

Torii Kiyomitsu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print is a parody of the Kabuki play Komachi Praying for Rain, which is based on the legend of Ono no Komachi, the beautiful poetess of the ninth century. She put a card on which she had written a poem into a miniature boat and released it into a pond to pray for rain at the imperial garden. Thanks to the power of her poetry, the rain started and continued for three days. Although there is no artist's signature, the print has been attributed to Torii Kiyomitsu, the third master of the Torii school and the teacher of Kiyonaga.

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