歌川国貞画　七代目市川団十郎と初代市川団十郎|Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Admiring Ichikawa Danjūrō I in an Inset Portrait

Utagawa Kunisada

1819 · Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigment on paper; shikishiban · Asian Art

The prominent Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (1791–1859) gazes at a portrait of his ancestor Danjūrō I (1660–1704). Seemingly in confrontation, the men adopt exaggerated poses (mie) and lance each other with piercing gazes. The famous family crest of three nested squares (mimasu) is incorporated into the design of the actors' costumes and into the frame of the portrait of Danjūrō I. The print also includes two kyōka (witty thirty-one-syllable poems).

Artist

Utagawa Kunisada

Date

1819

Medium

Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigment on paper; shikishiban

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Jack Greene Gift, 2001