Parody of Minamoto no Tametomo

Suzuki Harunobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the picture-calendar the cyclical date for 1765 is hidden. Japan's system of cyclical dates for naming years combines the ten celestial stems with the twelve animals of the zodiac. Kinoto tori (the second of the ten stems and the zodiac sign of the rooster) appears on the left side of the warrior's neckband and "Meiwa 2" (1765) is seen on the right. The numerals for the dai, or long, months (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10) appear inside the exposed lining of his kimono, while the numerals for the shō, or short, months (1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12) are reversed in white and disguised as bamboo leaves on the kimono of the woman nearest the screen.

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