The Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba Hisatsugu

The Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba Hisatsugu

Shunkōsai Hokushū 春好斎北洲

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

With glaring eyes and striking a defiant pose, the Osaka-based Kabuki actor Asao Gakujurō is shown as the samurai Mashiba Hisatsugu firmly grasping the hilt of his sword, ready to attack. Gakujūrō is captured here in a role from the play “The Golden Gate and the Paulownia Crest” (Kinmon gosan no kiri). The play relates the dastardly exploits of the rōnin (masterless samurai) Ishikawa Goemon, who seeks revenge against Mashiba Hisayoshi, a character based on the historical Hideyoshi—and who is the archenemy of his adoptive and natural fathers. The character’s robe is decorated with paulownia leaf motifs to which gourd tassels are attached. The two poems, one by the actor himself, commemorate his taking a new stage name.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba HisatsuguThe Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba HisatsuguThe Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba HisatsuguThe Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba HisatsuguThe Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba Hisatsugu

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.