Female Entertainer with a Koto

Utagawa Toyoharu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A high ranking courtesan in a striking black outer robe with a peacock motif over a multicolored undergarment stands before a koto (thirteen stringed zither). Her obi sash is tied in front of her robes rather than behind, the usual practice for courtesans. Utagawa Toyoharu, founder of the Utagawa school of Ukiyo e, produced both finely executed paintings—as seen here—and designs for prints. Shokusanjin, one of the foremost literary arbiters of his era, inscribed the poem to the left of the figure some years after the painting was made. The witty verse is full of clever wordplay and references to centuries old classical literature and the Shinto “patron deity” of the pleasure quarters.

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