Ichikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochi

Ichikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochi

Toyohara Kunichika

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This triptych illustrates a new type of play in the Meiji period, historical dramas (katsureki), which were promoted by Danjuro IX and which took their inspiration from recent events. Illustrated here is the Seinan rebellion against the Meiji government, which occurred in 1877. In this play, Danjuro, in the center, plays Saijo Takamori, a thinly disguised version of Saigo Takamori, who was the leader of the actual rebellion. Kunichika's use of a bright color for the background reflects the intensity of battle.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ichikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochiIchikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochiIchikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochiIchikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochiIchikawa Kodanji as Seppu Shinsuke, Ichikawa Sadanji as Kishino Toshiaki, Ichikawa Danjūrō as Saijō Takamori, Onoe Kikugorō as Kurata Shinpachirō, Nakamura Chūtarō as Shōtarō, Onoe Kikunosuke as Magoichi, and Ichikawa Kōsaku as Tokumaru in the play Okige no kumo harau asa gochi

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.