An Actor's Image in a Sake Cup

Utagawa Toyoshige

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Toyoshige, also known as Toyokuni II, was a pupil and son-in-law of Utagawa Toyokuni (1769–1825). Since Toyoshige closely followed Toyokuni's late style, his works are often misidentified as his teacher's. A large red-lacquer sake cup at the upper right, balanced on a branch of plum blossoms and corresponding to a small sake cup that the woman is holding, reflects the image of a Kabuki actor.

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