The Actor Onoe Matsusuke in the Role of Lady Iwafuji

Utagawa Toyokuni I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This well-preserved, brightly colored print is one of three from the series that depict actors from the same play—"The Disputes of the Kaga Daimyo Family"—under a blossoming cherry tree. The Osaka-born actor Onoe Matsusuke (1744–1815) could play various types of male and female roles. Here, he is depicted as the power-hungry Lady Iwafuji, her wickedness expressed in facial features such as a tightly closed mouth and narrowed eyes.

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