Standing Courtesan

Kaigetsudō Ando

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A courtesan, statuesque and regal in pose, has paused her procession to glance back, perhaps to acknowledge an admirer. Kaigetsudō Ando was the founder of a studio of artists that produced woodblock prints and paintings of the high-ranking women of the demimonde. Here a poem card (shikishi) is inscribed with a poem attributed to Sarumaru Dayu (active late 8th century) that was made famous through its inclusion in One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Hyakunin isshu): Oku yama ni momiji fumi-wake naku shika no koe kiku toki zo aki wa kanashiki Deep in the mountains, traipsing through leaves, a deer cries for its mate— when I hear that sound, it’s autumn at its saddest. —Trans. John T. Carpenter

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