Unidentified actor in a female role, with a fan. Long text, signed Santô Kyôsan gijutsu [playfully written by … ]
Utagawa Toyokuni I
Description
In kabuki, a popular form of Japanese theater, male actors play female roles, as female actors were banned from the stage beginning in the mid-1600s. From this time onward, kabuki drew many fans from the emerging merchant class, who relished the opportunity to socialize in a new space, carved out for the various social classes of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to come together and interact with one another. Prints like this celebrated the most famous actors of the day. Easily produced for the mass market, they served as souvenirs for those who could afford to attend and as collector’s items for those who could not. The long text, written by popular writer Santō Kyōzan (1769–1858), is about the attractiveness of the actor in this role.
Subject Matter:
This woodblock print depicts an actor of kabuki, a popular form of Japanese theater in which male actors play female roles. Kabuki performances were regarded as social events in which individuals of different social classes were able to come together and interact with one another.
Prints like this were easily mass-produced and served as souvenirs that celebrated the most famous actors of the day. The long text, written by popular writer Santō Kyōzan (1769–1858), is about the attractiveness of the actor in this role.
Usage Rights:
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