Kabuki Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX

Torii Kiyomitsu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The actor's pen name, Kakitsu, is written to the right of his shoulder and his role and name to the left. His black and white crest is an orange-like fruit which appears also in the pattern of his robes. The first true color printing was introduced about 1741 and is called benizuri-e. Colors are usually limited to a delicate rose red (beni) and an apple green. Kiyomitsu has added a third gray color block. The pink is a fugitive color and fades to a yellowish tone, but the green is more permanent. It is rare to find a benizuri-e preserved in something near its original state.

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