Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset Portrait

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset Portrait

Utagawa Kunisada

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The prominent Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (1791–1859) gazes at a portrait of his ancestor Danjūrō I (1660–1704). Seemingly in confrontation, the men adopt exaggerated poses (mie) and lance each other with piercing gazes. The famous family crest of three nested squares (mimasu) is incorporated into the design of the actors' costumes and into the frame of the portrait of Danjūrō I. The print also includes two kyōka (witty thirty-one-syllable poems).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset PortraitIchikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset PortraitIchikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset PortraitIchikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset PortraitIchikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset Portrait

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.