Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Mitsuuji with Mountain Roses (Yamabuki), from the series “Six Jewel Faces” (Mu tama-gao)

mid- to late 1830s
Not on view
Mitsuuji, the samurai protagonist of A Fraudulent Murasaki’s Rustic Genji, is shown in this half-bust portrait on a fan print. His “lobster-tail” topknot, flipped forward and split in front (not how elite samurai actually wore their hair), became a trademark feature of depictions by Utagawa Kunisada and his disciples. The colorful background, with explosions of tie-dyed floral motifs, is a reminder of how Kunisada made all his thousands of Genji-print designs a visual record of different textile patterns of the day.

The title Six Jewel Faces (Mu tama-gao), along with its allusion to the literary theme of Six Jewel Rivers, suggests that this set of fan prints captures the appearance of a half-dozen attractive individuals, and, indeed, the other five works in the set show images of beautiful women, mostly courtesans of the pleasure quarters.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 歌川国貞 （三代歌川豊国）画　「六玉顔」 山吹を持つ光氏
  • Title: Mitsuuji with Mountain Roses (Yamabuki), from the series “Six Jewel Faces” (Mu tama-gao)
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: mid- to late 1830s
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Uncut fan print; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 9 × 11 3/4 in. (22.9 × 29.8 cm)
    Sheet: 9 × 11 3/4 in. (22.9 × 29.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Alan and Barbara Medaugh Gift, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.3
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Bun’ya no Asayasu (no. 36), from the series A Pictorial Commentary on One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Hyakunin isshu eshō: Bun'ya no Asayasu), Utagawa Kunisada Japanese, Woodblock print (nishiki-e); vertical ōban; ink and color on paper, Japan
Bun’ya no Asayasu (no. 36), from the series A Pictorial Commentary on One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Hyakunin isshu eshō: Bun'ya no Asayasu)
Utagawa Kunisada
ca. 1844
Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese
Armor (Gusoku)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries
Proof Line-Block Print for Fan, Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide Japanese, Proof line-block print for fan; ink on paper, Japan
Proof Line-Block Print for Fan
Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide
19th century
Kabuki Actor in a Female Role Standing with a Fan, Utagawa Kunisada Japanese, Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper, Japan
Kabuki Actor in a Female Role Standing with a Fan
Utagawa Kunisada
19th century
Shō, Bamboo wood, metal, Japanese
Shō
Japanese
19th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.