The Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V as the Spirit of Monk Seigen

1772

Japanese, 1726-1792

This is an enchanting print of the spirit of monk Seigen in female guise played by Ichikawa Danjuro V. The diamond patterns on the kimono are embossed, adding interesting texture to the print. The maple leaves on the kimono were used as a crest by courtesans with the prestigious name Takao (Mt. Takao is famous for its autumn foliage). Shunshō was associated with the Katsukawa school, and well known for his actor prints. Many museums, including the British Museum, have sizable collections of his prints.

Woodblock print; ink and color with metallic pigments on paper

12 1/4 x 5 5/8 in. (31.1 x 14.3 cm)

Asian Art Acquisition Fund

2013.10.2

Provenance: [Sold at auction, upstate New York, date unknown]; [purchased by an art dealer, New York]; [purchased from dealer by Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art, New York]

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Renegade Edo: Japanese Prints and Toulouse-Lautrec, July 21 - Dec. 3, 2023. Text by Xiaojin Wu. No cat. no., pp. 51, 101, reproduced pl. 20.

Published ReferencesCf., Clark, Timothy T. The Actor's Image: Print Makers of the Katsukawa School. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago in association with Princeton University Press, 1994, pp. 178-179, illus. (another impression of the same print)

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