“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)

“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kuniyoshi’s dramatic image derives from the medieval tale Taishokkan, “The Great Woven Cap,” which recounts legendary events from the life of the courtier Fujiwara Kamatari (614–669). Here, his humbly born lover, the beautiful diver Tamatori, recovers a precious jewel stolen from Kamatari by the dragon king of the sea. She battles one of the dragon’s minions, a fearsome octopus, clutching the jewel in one hand while brandishing a dagger in the other. The connection to Chapter 22 of Genji is the jewel (tama) in the chapter title, “Tamakazura,” which is the name of Genji’s beautiful ward.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)“‘A Lovely Garland’ (Tamakazura): Tamatori-ama,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)

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.