Hamamuraya Roko (Segawa Kikunojo III)

Maker(s)
Artist: Katsukawa Shunkō 勝川春好 (1743-1812)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, ca. late 1780s
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 31.3 x 14.2 cm (12 5/16 x 5 9/16 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2004.3.67
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

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

This close-up portrait portrays the actor Segawa Kikunojo III, who was a leading onnagata in the 1780s. He is identified by his "shop name" (yago), Hamamuraya, and his haimyo, Roko, which are written on the slips of paper usually intended for inscribing poetry that are suspended from the wisteria arbor. This portrait of Kikunojo in the role of a courtesan is exceptional for its seductive eroticism in which the actor, whose wig is loose and disheveled, leans forward with lips parted while gazing enticingly toward the viewer. 

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 17, pp. 86-87.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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