Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")

Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")

Torii Kiyomasu II

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print portrays Sanjō Kantarō, an actor who specialized in female impersonation. By isolating the actor and the mirror in the undefined space, Kiyomasu created an iconic image.The backward-facing mirror, withholding the actor's reflection, encourages the viewer to imagine what Kantarō sees. The barren surroundings and the simple and direct formal technique, revealed in the strong draftsmanship, serve as a metaphor for the actor's preoccupation with his own image.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")Portrait of Sanjō Kantarō in the Female Role of Yaoya Oshichi in the Play "Fuji no Takane" ("The High Peak of Mount Fuji")

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.