People of the Five Nations

Utagawa Yoshitora

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this print, foreigners—merchants, officers, ladies, and servants—gather for refreshments in a place that resembles a Chinese courtyard at the Yokohama waterfront. The shading and highlighting in the coloration of the clothes were techniques probably inspired by Western engravings. The artist attempted linear perspective; the awkward structure of the space fragments the interiors shown in the background.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art