Portrait of Oboshi Yuranosuke Yoshio (The Leader)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The samurai in this print wears a jacket and chest protector similar in form to the two exhibited here. He is Oboshi Yuranosuke, the hero of The Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Chushingura), a beloved play that became an influential part of Edo popular culture. Based on a historical event, Chushingura tells the story of forty-seven loyal retainers whose lord was goaded into impropriety by an associate and then forced to commit ritual suicide. The retainers, led by Yuranosuke, bide their time and finally take revenge. Yuranosuke is seen here in the final act of the play after the entire group has attacked the residence of the former associate and avenged their lord's death. The banner Yuranosuke carries commemorates one of the retainers, Hayano Kanpei, who died in the attack.

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