Mountain Roses of Ide (Ide no Yamabuki), from the series A Parodic Six Jewel Rivers (Yatsushi Mu-Tamagawa)

Rekisentei Eiri

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Each print in this series references one of the six rivers in various parts of Japan that are named Tamagawa, or Jewel River. The theme of six beautiful rivers, each associated with a flower and a classical court poem, enjoyed great popularity in the late Edo period, especially among ukiyo-e printmakers. Mountain roses (yamabuki) are associated with the Ide Tamagawa, near Kyoto. This series parodies the typical depiction by replacing a courtier-poet and his two assistants fording the Ide Tamagawa with a courtesan in a courtier’s cap and two female assistants.

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