Object Image

誰が袖図屏風

The suggestive title of this type of screen—“Whose Sleeves?,” or Tagasode—points to its provocative nature. The viewer is invited to speculate over who owns these gorgeous robes. Such screens omit human figures and represent only the robes, personal accessories, and furniture of the owners. However, even if a garment of a particular period is accurately depicted on the screen it may not be synchronous with the painting’s date of production.

The phrase “Whose Sleeves?” is found in classical love poems and was not commonly used to refer to this type of screen until the late nineteenth century. Yet, by the early seventeenth century, representations of clothing stands (ikō-zu) with lavish garments...

(right screen) late 16th-early 17th century; (left screen) early to mid-17th century
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on gilt paper
144.9 x 346.8cm
29.100.493,.494
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019

Where you'll find this

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection