In a Pleasure House

In a Pleasure House

Torii Kiyonaga

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal figure in this composition is a courtesan who has paused in front of a folding screen. With her head inclined and her hand resting on the edge of the screen, she stands in an attitude of watching. The cropping necessitated by the narrow format adds mystery to this scene because the object of the courtesan's gaze is beyond the border of the print. In the background another courtesan tenderly observes her sleeping lover. One can surmise that the woman in the foreground also watches a sleeping man, especially since the edge of a bed is just visible at the lower right.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In a Pleasure HouseIn a Pleasure HouseIn a Pleasure HouseIn a Pleasure HouseIn a Pleasure House

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.