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 Kumagai Jirō Naozane at Fujiedafront

© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

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The character Kumagai Jirō Naozane at Fujieda

  • Description

    The ‘Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi no Tani’ is about the tragic fight between the warrior Kumagai Jirō Naozane and the young samurai Taira Atsumori. Kumagai reluctantly slays his young enemy in battle. It is later revealed that he has killed his own son. The role of Kumagai is considered one of the greatest roles in the kabuki theatre.

    Here the actor crosses his eyes in an intense pose known as a ‘mie’, struck at a climactic emotional moments in a kabuki play. The excitement of the moment is always heightened by the accompanying sound of wooden clappers.

  • Details

    show all
    Series
    Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi no Tani
    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 › Fujieda (subject)
    Date
    1852
    Artist/maker
    Utagawa Kunisada (1823-1880) (designer)
    Hori Mino (1833 - 1906) (block cutter)
    Associated people
    attributed to Tsujioka Bunsuke (active c. 1814 - 1896) (publisher)
    Hama Yahei (active c. 1852) (censor)
    Magomi Kangeyū (active c. 1852) (censor)
    Kumagai no Jirō Naozane (1141 - 1208) (subject)
    Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII (1823 - 1854) (subject)
    Material and technique
    Nishiki-e, woodblock print with ink and colour
    Dimensions
    mount 55.5 x 40.2 cm (height x width)
    sheet 35.5 x 24.5 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.
    EA1983.58

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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