Woman Reading under a Mosquito Net

Fuhiken Tokikaze

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A courtesan bedecked in gorgeous robes, decorated with waves, bamboo grass, gentian flowers (sasarindō), and other floral motifs, is seated just outside the mosquito net covering her sleeping area. With the net draped over her uncoiffed hair, she reads a long letter, no doubt from a wealthy patron, and the viewer is left to imagine what kind of news the message contains. Only a few other paintings by Fuhiken Tokikaze are known, but the gentle, corpulent facial features suggest an artist in the circle of Miyagawa Chōshun.

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