“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)

“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)

Jukakudō Masakuni 壽鶴堂政国

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In a fantastic urban panorama of Osaka, ten Kabuki actors out of costume are shown enjoying a summer evening along the bank of the Yodo River, chatting with each other, some seated on wood benches. Fireworks illuminate a starry night sky over the Tenma Bridge, probably for the Tenjin Festival held annually on the twenty-fifth day of the seventh month. Spectators on the banks and in riverboats enliven the scene. The actors hold summer fans and smoking paraphernalia, and a puppy plays with a sandal of Nakamura Tomozō on the far left. This collaborative project is the work of artists in the circle of the poet and print designer Jukōdō Yoshikuni (active ca. 1813–32).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)“Enjoying the Evening Cool near Lord Nabeshima’s Warehouses” (Fūryū Nabeshima yūsuzumi)

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.