Page 458 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

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Tóshüsai Sharaku (active 1794-1795) Tóshüsai Sharaku (active 1794-1795)
The Actor Ichikawa Ebizô as Takemura The Actors Nakajima Wadaemon
Sadanoshin as Bodara Chozaemon and Nakamura
Konozô as Con of the Kanagawaya
1794
Color woodblock print 1794
7
5
37.8x24.5 (i4 /8X9 /s) Color woodblock print
7
7
Tokyo National Museum 37.8 x 25.1 (i4 /sx 9 /s)
Important Cultural Property Tokyo National Museum
Important Cultural Property
• Ichikawa Ebizó, better known as Illustrated page 44
Danjüró V, one of the most famous
actors of his day, was renowned 457
for his "rough stuff (aragoto) roles. • Another rare double bust portrait,
this image provides
an interesting
Though the actor's distinctive facial
features would have been instantly study in contrasting personality types.
recognized by any theatergoer of the The scowling character on the right,
day, his identity is further confirmed played by Wadaemon, known deri-
by the triple "rice-measuring" box sively as "Dried Codfish," is shown
crest on his bright orange-red robes. dressing down the homeless boatman
played by Konozô.
The role is from a performance with
an unwieldy title, typical of kabuki Western cataloguers early in the
plays, that may be loosely rendered century mistakenly took the overly
as The Colorful Reins of a Beloved Wife: ample fleshy features of Konozô for
Yoshitsune of the Thousand Cherry Trees those of a sumo wrestler, a subject
(Koinyobo somewake tazuna: Yoshitsune Sharaku dabbled in during his short
senbon zakura). The play was staged tenure as an ukiyoe artist. Scrutiny
at the Kawarazaki Theater in the of the actors' crests of the robes here
fifth month of 1794. and consultation of contemporary
kabuki programs, however, allowed
The artist has captured the intense
glare of the actor by setting the eye- the next generation of scholars to
balls slightly off center to mimic the confirm the names of the actors
and roles.
effect of actors in a climactic scene
(mie).The actor's eyebrows are arched The play from which the scene derives
in excited emotion, and with brilliant is another pastiche of vendetta
economy of brushstrokes, the actor's plots, A Medley of Tales of Vengeance
features are suggested through a (Katakiuchi noriai-banashi), which was
series of broadly curving lines. Atten- staged at the Kiri Theater, also in the
tion is drawn to the exaggerated hook fifth month of 1794. Sharaku thus was
nose and high cheekbones. As simple producing prints for three different
as the portrait seems, the artist has theaters simultaneously — testimony
given the initiated viewer everything not only to the popularity of his
needed to identify the famous actor designs but to the power of his pub-
immediately. JTC lisher, Tsutaya Jüzaburó. JTC