Nakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi Kurobei

Nakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi Kurobei

Utagawa Kunimasu 歌川国升

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The superstar Utaemon IV performs in a vendetta play surrounding the violent exploits of Danshichi, always depicted in plays with a dramatically tattooed body.Here, we only see his arms exposed. Little is known for sure about the artist Kunimasu, except that he seems to have been born into wealth, and he had the chance to study print design under Utagawa Kunisada in Edo, then returned to Osaka to sponsor ukiyo-e print production.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Nakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi KurobeiNakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi KurobeiNakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi KurobeiNakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi KurobeiNakamura Utaemon IV as Danshichi Kurobei

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.