The Courtesan Hanaōgi of the Ōgiya Brothel in Yoshiwara (Ōgiya uchi Hanaōgi, Yoshino, Tatsuta)

Kitagawa Utamaro

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this half-length portrait of the courtesan Hanaōgi of the Ōgiya, the subject holds a writing brush and paper. In the square shikishi (poem card) cartouche is the name of the courtesan and her attendants, Yoshino and Tatsuta. In the vertical tanzaku-shaped cartouche is a poem in praise of her: Noserarete miru yū gao no Hanaōgi hito no kokoro ni aki no kozareba Attracted by her face in the evening, like a gourd flower in autumn, no one can ever weary of Hanaō gi’s beauty. [Signed] Yanagihara Mukai —Trans. John T. Carpenter

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