The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"

Utagawa Toyokuni I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ichikawa Yaozo III (1747–1818), a student of Danjūrō V, is shown in the role of Fuwa Banzaemon, who is a rival with Nagoya Sanza for the love of the same women. Yaozo wears a "thunder" robe, a striking pattern of lightning and clouds, embellished with the crest of the three nested squares. His straw hat rests on the ground behind him. Toyokuni added delicate touches of color to this bold print, such as light blue for details of Banzaemon's eyes and beard and light pink on the folds of the fan.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo III in the Role of Fuwa Banzaemon from the Play "Ukiyozuka hiyoku no inazuma"

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.