The Brine Maiden Matsukaze

Nishimura Shigenobu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A young maiden leaning against a pine tree by the seashore holds a black courtier’s cap in her left hand. A man’s garment is draped over branch above her. Though the woman’s hair and garments are in the style of the eighteenth century, she represents a character from the Noh play Wind through the Pines (Matsukaze). The play relates the story of two sisters, Matsukaze and Murasame, both brine-gathering maidens at the bay of Suma, who fall in love with Ariwara no Yukihira (818–893), the courtier-poet who has been exiled there. When finally pardoned by the court, Yukihira returns to the capital, leaving his courtier’s cap and robe with the maidens as mementos, along with a promise to send for them in the near future. Yukihira dies shortly after leaving and is unable to fulfill his promise. Distraught at the news of his death, the two sisters drown themselves in the sea. This story of love and despair inspired this parodic version, which replaces the lowly brine maiden with a gorgeously dressed courtesan.

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