[Woman with Tea Set Playing the Koto] 1860

"Woman with Tea Set Playing the Koto" is an albumen print by Felice Beato taken in 1860, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. The photograph captures a Japanese woman playing the koto, a traditional stringed instrument, while a tea set is laid out nearby, offering a glimpse into Japanese domestic life. Beato, a pioneering photographer, documented Japan during a period of significant change, making his work valuable for understanding the country’s visual culture at that time.