Three Kabuki Actors Playing Hanetsuki

Three Kabuki Actors Playing Hanetsuki

Utagawa Kuniyasu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Compared to his teacher, Utagawa Toyokuni, Kuniyasu portrayed actors with more angular, sharp-edged lines, particularly in the treatment of facial details. This rare surimono triptych was produced in honor of the New Year. Three actors play the badminton-like game called hanetsuki, a traditional New Year's activity. Humorous poems by contemporary poets are inscribed throughout the three sheets.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Three Kabuki Actors Playing HanetsukiThree Kabuki Actors Playing HanetsukiThree Kabuki Actors Playing HanetsukiThree Kabuki Actors Playing HanetsukiThree Kabuki Actors Playing Hanetsuki

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.