Ichikawa Danjuro Fifth as a Komuso Holding a Basket-Hat in His Right Hand
ca. 1775
Medium
Diptych of woodblock prints (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 12 5/16 in. (31.3 cm); W. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918
Accession Number
JP394a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking diptych by Katsukawa Shunshō captures the celebrated kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V in the guise of a komusō, a wandering Zen monk who played the shakuhachi flute while concealed beneath a woven basket hat. Created around 1775 during Japan’s Edo period, the print exemplifies Shunshō’s pioneering approach within the ukiyo-e tradition. As founder of the Katsukawa school, he specialized in lively, individualized portraits of actors rather than generic types, helping elevate theatrical prints to new levels of realism and expressive detail. Printed in the vibrant nishiki-e technique...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792