- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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Wearing full armor, the actor Arashi Rikan II (1788-1837) plays the role of a warrior who has acquired magical powers that allow him to control frogs. He wears a wig that suggests the character has not shaven his pate for one hundred days, thus producing a disheveled appearance. This type of wig is commonly used in period plays to express a combination of physical strength and evil intentions. The actor himself composed the haiku (hokku) inscribed on this print. It refers to the honor of performing in a New Year production and self-deprecatingly suggests that he is not a famous actor:
How comforting!
Even grasses with no name
enjoy the blessings of the sun.
Translation of poem by John T. Carpenter
- Published References
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- Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 58, pp. 168-169.
- Collection Area(s)
- Japanese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7447_18