Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Shingen in “A String of Prayer Beads Shaken at a Ribbon of Waterfall”
Medium
color woodblock print
Dimensions
33.4 × 15 cm
Classification
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift from J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1921.1270
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
Once the center print of a triptych (a composition of three prints), this design shows Ichimura Uzaemon IX playing Takeda Harunobu (1521–1573), a storied general who received the name Shingen upon taking Buddhist vows. In the story, Shingen attempts to cut off his enemy’s water supply, using a spell to imprison the dragon god who controlled it. However, a young woman named Sakura-hime gets him drunk. While he is indisposed, she and her lover release the dragon, whereupon it rains. Here, Shingen,...