Comparison of Contemporary Fans: The Actor Sawamura Kunitaro II as the Fox Kuzunoha

Object Details

• Artist

  Shunkosai Hokushu 春好斎北洲 (fl. ca. 1802-1832)

• Label

  This delightful portrait comes from a set of four prints, each depicting an actor in a role for the play Ashiya doman ouchi kagami, which was performed at the Kita Horie Theater, Osaka, in 1824. This print, marked "center," portrays the actor Sawamura Kunitaro II (?-1836) as the fox-spirit Kuzunoha. He also assumed the role of the real Kuzunoha in the play. In the complete set of prints, this portrait appears between prints of the actors, Nakamura Utaemon III as Yakampei and Ichikawa Ebijuro I (1777-1827) as Yokampei, who mirror each other's actions. Utaemon also played the subject of the fourth print in the set, Abe no Yasuna, who marries the fox-spirit in the guise of Kuzunoha. Playing both the real Kuzunoha and her imposter highlights the skills of the onnagata in creating subtly demanding characterization.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  The Anne van Biema Collection

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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• Name

  Shunkosai, Hokushu

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Fans, Theater, Art, Animals, Actors and actresses, Oban, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Portraits, Ukiyo-e

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints