The Outer Robe

Kitagawa Utamaro

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seated figures were displayed to particular advantage in the standard, vertical oban format, which allowed the portrayal of full-length figures at close range. The robes, rather than the woman wearing them, could be said to be the subject of this print. In contrast to the practice of using outlines to contain areas of color, Utamaro here flaunts his skill by dispensing altogether with line, concentrating solely on pattern. The print is from the series Nishiki-ori Utamaro Gata ("New Patterns of Brocade in Utamaro's Style"), perhaps produced in response to his rival, Shun'ei, who at this time was making oshi egata, pasted fabric pictures. Dispensing with real fabric, Utamaro chose instead to convey lifelike reproductions of fashionable fabric.

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