The Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV

The Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV

Torii Kiyonaga

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is an offstage glimpse at the superstar Matsumoto Kōshirō IV (1737–1802), who became a pupil of Danjūrō IV in 1757 and took the name of Kōshirō IV in 1772. He is relaxed, smoking a pipe and appreciating tea utensils, in the company of two women. The family crest of the hereditary name of Kōshirō, four flowers arranged in the shape of a diamond, appears on his kimono.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IVThe Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IVThe Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IVThe Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IVThe Kabuki Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV

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.