The Actor Arashi Tokusaburō as the Female Gallant (Onnadate) Ohashi

Utagawa Sadamasu (Kunimasu) 初代歌貞升

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Kabuki actor Arashi Tokusaburō III (later known as Arashi Rikan III, 1812–1863) achieved great renown for his performances as young women (waka-onnagata). Here he is represented in the role of the onnadate (chivalrous woman) Ohashi, who defended the weak and oppressed against abusive samurai, and who were popularized in literature and on the Kabuki stage as champions of the townspeople. The hokku (17-syllable poem), by the actor himself, refers to the tachibana (mandarin orange blossom) crest used by this family of actors: Tachibana no kaori wa yomo ni negaunari We pray that the fragrance of mandarin orange blossoms will spread in all directions. (Trans. John T. Carpenter)

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