Snow, Moon, and Cherry Blossoms (Yoshiwara in Three Seasons)

Chōbunsai Eishi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These paintings by the samurai-born artist Chōbunsai Eishi comprise a triptych representing Yoshiwara, the area around the brothel district of Edo in three seasons of the year, each with its most appealing feature: snow in winter, cherry flowers in spring, and the moon in autumn. The inscriptions on each scroll are seasonal kyōka (witty thirty-one-syllable poems), each signed “Shokusanjin” (Ōta Nanpo, 1749–1823), one of the popular poets of his time. The kyōka above the courtesan likens her unrivalled beauty to that of cherry trees planted along Nakanochō, the main boulevard of Yoshiwara, every spring: Nakanochō uetaru hana no katawara ni miyama-gi nado wa hitomoto mo nashi There’s not a single tree from deep in the mountains that could stand proudly beside flowering cherries planted along Nakanochō Boulevard. —Shokusanjin (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