Karakoto of Chojiya on Parade

Chōbunsai Eishi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An oiran, the highest class of courtesan, was accompanied by two young attendants, who were modeled on Heian pages, and two shinzo, or ladies-in-waiting, who were learning the profession. Each evening, the oiran and her entourage would parade through the streets. The young attendants wore the sleeves of their robes tied shut with a bow. The parade was as much for promotion as it was for exercise, and depictions of the ritual served as business advertisements and as fashion plates—the smart, city clothing might be copied by provincial women. The event is captured here in a dark palette known as beni-girai, or "hatred of red," which reflected a sophisticated fashion for gray and brown fabric dyes. Eishi highlights the somber range of colors with touches of peach and yellow.

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