The Actor Ichikawa Danzo V as Kato Masakiyo

Maker(s)
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi ę­Œå·å›½čŠ³ (1798-1861)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1833
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 36.3 x 24.8 cm (14 5/16 x 9 3/4 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2004.3.160
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
actor, Anne van Biema collection, Edo period (1615 - 1868), Japan, kabuki, oban, portrait, theater, ukiyo-e, warrior
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The warrior Kato Masakiyo, played by Ichikawa Danzo V (1788-1845), who acted both in Kamigata (Kyoto and Osaka) and Edo, displays his power as he holds a huge sword and an iron-framed battle fan, turning menacingly toward his right in a mie pose. Masakiyo was a character in the period play Hachijin shugo no honjo, which was loosely based on historical events leading to the ascent of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the first shogun of the Tokugawa line. In the play, in which all the characters have fictional names due to governmental prohibitions against plays based on recent history, Masakiyo is poisoned at a banquet by Hojo Tokimasa, the fictional Tokugawa Ieyasu. But Masakiyo carries on even after the poisoning, traveling by boat to his castle. This print, which is part of a larger multisheet image, embodies the powerful projection of strength and character that made Kuniyoshi's warrior prints a popular sensation.

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 35, pp. 122-123.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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