On View
Not on viewObject number1960/1.327
The Actor Nakamura Shikan IV as Otomo No Kuronushi
Artist
Kunisada Utagawa
(Japanese, 1786-1864)
Date1860
Mediumcolor woodblock print
Dimensionsmat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
image (flush): 14 1/2 × 9 5/8 in. (36.8 × 24.4 cm)
image (flush): 14 1/2 × 9 5/8 in. (36.8 × 24.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Miss Fillette Many
Exhibition History"Impressions: Printmaking in Japan," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Joy Light Gallery of Asian Art (Apr. 1 - July 23, 2017).
"Sugoi! 200 Years of Japanese Art," KIA, Galleries 2 & 5 (May 13, 2023 - September 24, 2023)Label TextThis scene shows kabuki actor Nakamura Shikan IV as the villainous Otomo no Kuronushi, disguised as a humble gatekeeper in the kabuki play Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To. With designs on greater power, Otomo has murdered a rival. He infiltrates the rival’s compound, disguised as a trusted (but drunken) gatekeeper. The beautiful courtesan mourning the loss of her beloved is actually the spirit of a cherry tree in the garden. Using her magic, she recognizes and attacks the murderer of her lover. In this image, Otomo unsuccessfully flails his axe at the branches of the blossoming cherry tree.
