Actor Bando Sanpachi I as Asahina Saburo

In this print, the actor Bando Sanpachi i (d. 1770) as the warrior Asahina Saburo, brandishes a battle fan as he assumes the powerful fixed pose (mie) that marks a climactic point in a battle scene. The actor's crests appear in large circular motifs on his costume, which is decorated with auspicious Chinese symbols and a crane that signifies long life. This print by Kiyotsune, whose family specialized in actor designs, represents the actor in an aragoto role that displays the bold, masculine style that became a specialty of Edo actors.