Untitled

Torii Kiyonaga

1784 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This print portrays Ichikawa Yaozo III in the popular role of the young dandy Sukeroku. Yaozo's family crest of three nested squares (mimasu) filled with the character for "eight" (ya or hachi) is on the edge of the umbrella. Sukeroku's costume—a dark kimono that reveals a vivid lining, wooden clogs, a purple headband, and an umbrella—is dashing and manly. Yaozo's stance is the nearly iconic pose associated with the character Sukeroku. Sukeroku, one of the most popular plays from the Ichikawa family's repertoire, combined the swaggering aragoto method with the elegant wagoto performing style.

Artist

Torii Kiyonaga

Date

1784

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936