Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)

Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)

Toyohara Kunichika

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kunichika, a pupil of Utagawa Kunisada, produced a large number of actor prints in his early career; later, during the Meiji period, he popularized the triptych format. This print portrays the handsome actor Sawamura Gennosuke III (1804–1863) as reflected in a mirror in his room backstage. Gennosuke wears a cotton kimono and assumes a relaxed pose, holding a teacup from which steam rises and wiping his neck with a towel. Containers of makeup and tools for applying it appear below and beside the mirror.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei)

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.