「真柴久次　勇次郎改　浅尾額十郎」 (Masashiba Hisatsugu Yūjirō aratame Asao Gakujūrō)|The Actor Asao Gakujūrō I (previously Yūjirō I) as Mashiba Hisatsugu

Shunkōsai Hokushū 春好斎北洲

1822 · Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban · Asian Art

With glaring eyes and striking a defiant pose, the Osaka-based Kabuki actor Asao Gakujurō is shown as the samurai Mashiba Hisatsugu firmly grasping the hilt of his sword, ready to attack. Gakujūrō is captured here in a role from the play “The Golden Gate and the Paulownia Crest” (Kinmon gosan no kiri). The play relates the dastardly exploits of the rōnin (masterless samurai) Ishikawa Goemon, who seeks revenge against Mashiba Hisayoshi, a character based on the historical Hideyoshi—and who is the archenemy of his adoptive and natural fathers. The character’s robe is decorated with paulownia leaf motifs to which gourd tassels are attached. The two poems, one by the actor himself, commemorate his taking a new stage name.

Artist

Shunkōsai Hokushū 春好斎北洲

Date

1822

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2020