Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"

Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"

Utagawa Toyokuni I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print is one of the most exquisite ukiyo-e prints featuring women. The subject matter of "Kayoi Komachi," inscribed in the upper right corner, is drawn from a tragic Noh play. The poet Ono no Komachi promises to meet her ardent suitor Fukakusa Shōjō if he agrees to spend a hundred nights on the stepstool of an oxcart. After ninety-nine nights, he dies. This print is a parody of the popular story. A courtesan is on her way home from visiting her favorite customer, knowing that their meetings will eventually end. Both Fukakusa Shōjō, in the Noh play, and the courtesan in this print share a profound sense of promise unfulfilled. Here, the mistiness of the night (achieved by means of an ink spray) and the woman's disheveled hair are suggestive of their romantic lingering.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"

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.