Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Sukeroku from the Play "Yukari no Edo-sakura", also known as "Sukeroku"

Torii Kiyonaga

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print portrays Ichikawa Yaozo III in the popular role of the young dandy Sukeroku. Yaozo's family crest of three nested squares (mimasu) filled with the character for "eight" (ya or hachi) is on the edge of the umbrella. Sukeroku's costume—a dark kimono that reveals a vivid lining, wooden clogs, a purple headband, and an umbrella—is dashing and manly. Yaozo's stance is the nearly iconic pose associated with the character Sukeroku. Sukeroku, one of the most popular plays from the Ichikawa family's repertoire, combined the swaggering aragoto method with the elegant wagoto performing style.

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