“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)

“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)

Kitagawa Utamaro

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Utamaro created numerous scenes featuring mothers and children. In this image from a series depicting the customs of modern urban women, a mother is shown offering her breast to her child, who stares out at the viewer while suckling.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)“Wife,” from the series Connoisseur of Modern Customs (Tōsei fūzoku tsū)

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.