Untitled

Tōshūsai Sharaku

1794 · Woodblock print; ink, color, white mica on paper · Asian Art

Like the figure to the right, this actor uses his kimono to make an expressive gesture. Unlike the stealthy Uguisu no Jirō saku, however, the swaggering Ishibe Kinkichi grasps his right sleeve with his left hand and pushes it up to bare his forearm and displays his readiness to fight. The eyes of this petty rascal, however, betray cowardice rather than bravery. Ishibe Kinkichi is the proverbial hard-hearted moneylender, and this conventional gesture expresses the cocky bravado of a bully's threat.

Artist

Tōshūsai Sharaku

Date

1794

Medium

Woodblock print; ink, color, white mica on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1929