Ōkawa Hachizō I as Oiwa and Ichikawa Sukejirō as Takuetsu in the play Tōkaidō Yotsuya kaidan 「お岩 大川橋蔵」 「宅悦 市川助寿郎」

Detail of a pattern
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IIIF

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At A Glance

  • Period

    1848
  • Geography

    Japan
  • Material

    Ink and color on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 26.2 × 18.9 cm (10 5/16 × 7 7/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S2021.5.467
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S2021.5.467

Object Details

  • Artist

    Utagawa Hirosada (active ca. 1847-1863)
  • Publisher

    Meikodo 名楽堂
  • Label

    In Ghost Story of Yotsuya on the Tōkaidō, a woman named Oiwa is given poison that horrifically disfigures her, causing one eye to swell. One of the most shocking scenes of the play is when Oiwa sets out to confront her wicked husband, Iemon. She begins to brush her hair to make herself presentable, but it falls out in bloody clumps. The actor playing Oiwa hides a pouch full of blackish red sappanwood dye in a partial wig, squeezing it over the white paper of a standing screen to make the effect even more terrifying.
  • Collection

    National Museum of Asian Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints (March 23 to October 6, 2024)
  • Origin

    Japan
  • Credit Line

    The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz 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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