Pictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a Dog

Pictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a Dog

Torii Kiyonaga

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Torii Kiyonaga, also renowned for his portraits of actors, has wrapped this beautiful woman in bright silk robes. Her red outer robe is decorated with chrysanthemum roundels in delicate colors, her furisode (a kimono with long, swinging sleeves) of peach silk has orchid designs, and the cream underrobe and red undergarment add to the contrast with her black obi. Tall, stately, and slightly remote, the subject can be identified as a woman of high standing. The classical twofold screen behind her, decorated with a closed blind, further removes her from everyday life. Anchoring her spreading robes to the floor is a Japanese spaniel, a creature that, like its mistress, was prized for breeding and elegance.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a DogPictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a DogPictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a DogPictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a DogPictures of Ten Styles (Jittaiga Fuzoku): A Young Woman with a Dog

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.