鳥居清満画 初代市川雷藏・二代目坂東彦三郎|Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Raizō I and Bandō Hikosaburō II
1767
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 7/32 x 5 7/8 in. (31.1 x 14.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1914
Accession Number
JP199
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant woodblock print by Torii Kiyomitsu, a leading figure of the Torii school during Japan's Edo period (16151868), captures Kabuki actors Ichikawa Raō I and Bandō Hikosaburō II in dynamic poses from 1767. Titled *Torii Kiyomitsu ga Ichidai Ichikawa Raizō Nidai Bandō Hikosaburō*, it showcases the actors amid props like baskets and buckets likely evoking a lively theatrical scene. Measuring just 12 7/32 x 5 7/8 inches, this compact *hosoban* format was designed for affordability, allowing theater enthusiasts to own affordable souvenirs of their favorites. Kiyomitsu mastered *yakusha-e*...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu · 1735–1785
Torii Kiyomitsu (1735–1785) was a leading master of the Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and a key figure in the third generation of the celebrated Torii school. Born into an artistic dynasty founded by his ancestor Torii Kiyonobu, Kiyomitsu trained within the family workshop and inherited its deep connections to the Kabuki theater world, for which the Torii school had long designed prom...