“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)

“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)

Utagawa Toyokuni I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The publisher Yamahei (Yamashiroya Sahei) published a series of prints celebrating the Gion Festival Costume Parade, held during the summer in Kyoto, during which geisha from the Gion district dress up in costumes. Various artists, including Toyokuni, contributed designs to the series.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata)

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.