Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Yakusha-e: Kabuki Prints, a Continuing Tradition

(from 29th Nov 2011 until 4th Mar 2012)

Discover the brightly coloured woodblock prints of actors from Japanese popular theatre.

Detail of The actor Nakamura Shikan IV as the fisherman Fukashichi, Tōkyō, 1869 (Museum No: EA1971.2
The character Yura Hyōgo at Namamugi, between Kawasaki and Kanagawafront

© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

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The character Yura Hyōgo at Namamugi, between Kawasaki and Kanagawa

  • Description

    Kunisada was the most prolific and successful designer of actor prints of the nineteenth century. He produced over 20,000 designs during his lifetime.

    In this series of prints, Kunisada shows famous kabuki actors in front of landscapes related to the stations of the Tōkaidō Road, Japan’s major highway. Each of the kabuki roles depicted is connected in some way to the landscape, perhaps through the location of the play or through an allusion to a local legend within the play.

  • Details

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    Series
    Miracle at the Yaguchi Ferry
    Associated place
    Asia › Japan › Honshū › Kantō › Tōkyō prefecture › Tōkyō (place of creation)
    Asia › Japan › Honshū › Kantō › Tōkyō prefecture › Tōkyō (place of publication)
    Asia › Japan › Honshū › Tōkaidō road (Namamugi) (subject)
    Date
    designed 1852
    Artist/maker
    Utagawa Kunisada (1823-1880) (designer)
    Hori Mino (1833 - 1906) (block cutter)
    Associated people
    Tsujioka Bunsuke (active c. 1814 - 1896) (publisher)
    Magomi Kangeyū (active c. 1852) (censor)
    Hama Yahei (active c. 1852) (censor)
    Ichikawa Ebizō V (1791 - 1859) (subject)
    Material and technique
    Nishiki-e, woodblock print with ink and colour
    Dimensions
    mount 55.5 x 40.2 cm (height x width)
    sheet 35.2 x 24.3 cm (height x width)
    Material index
    processed material › paper
    Technique index
    printed › relief print › woodcut › colour woodcut
    Object type index
    visual representation › print
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented by Christ Church College, University of Oxford, 1983.
    Accession no.
    EA1983.47

Past Exhibition

see (1)

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Notice

Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.

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