Courtesan and Attendant with a Cage of Fireflies

Ippitsusai Bunchō

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Nishikigi and an attendant are captured before an open doorway as they stroll on a hot summer night. Their way is lit by lanterns in a wisteria arbor and by a cage of fireflies. Perhaps owing to the season, Nishikigi is not wearing the brocade costume suggested by her name but a silk kosode with abbreviated decorations of bamboo at the edges of the hem and sleeves. Her tiny arms are visible through the sheer fabric. The trailing ends of her obi, tied high above her waist, echo the curve of her body. The transitory nature of her profession is echoed by the banana-leaf design on the screen inside the room.

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