Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)

Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)

Hasegawa Sadanobu 長谷川貞信

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Both portraits belong to a set of prints commemorating a performance of the popular Kabuki drama Jiraiya. Performing in Osaka, the Edo-based actor Ichikawa Ebizo V plays the role of Senso Dōjin, a hermit and magician who rescues the young Jiraiya and teaches him the secrets of toad magic (including the ability to turn into a toad) that will save his life and restore his fortune.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)

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.