Ichikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a Maiginu

Ichikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a Maiginu

Utagawa Toyokuni I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print shows the tension of a couple's hopeless relationship. The character of the courtesan Minoya Sankatsu holds the letter she and her lover Akaneya Hanshichi wrote to his family as part of their preparations for double suicide. Ichikawa Komazō II (Matsumoto Kōshirō V) played the role of Hanshichi, Nakayama Tomisaburō (1760–1819) the role of Sankatsu. The artist Utagawa Toyokuni was especially adept at portraying actors.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ichikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a MaiginuIchikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a MaiginuIchikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a MaiginuIchikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a MaiginuIchikawa Komazō II (1764–1838) in the Role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the Play Hadesugata On'a Maiginu

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.