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.
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.
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