Sugoroku Players

Art Historical Context

**Sugoroku Players** by Torii Kiyohiro, created around 1750, captures a lively moment from Japan's vibrant Edo-period "floating world" (ukiyo-e). This color woodblock print depicts enthusiasts engrossed in sugoroku, a traditional board game akin to backgammon, popular during festive New Year's gatherings. As a master of the Torii schoolrenowned for dynamic actor portraits (yakusha-e)—Kiyohiro infuses the scene with theatrical energy, showcasing elegant figures in flowing robes amid playful competition. The oban format (a generous 43.5 × 29.3 cm) allowed for intricate details, making it ideal for home display. Printed as a benizuri-e, an innovative "rose-colored picture" technique using two blocks—one for black lines and one for subtle pinks and reds—this work marks a pivotal step toward multicolored nishiki-e prints that would revolutionize ukiyo-e in the late 18th century. Kiyohiro's precise carving and bold composition highlight the Torii school's kabuki influences, blending realism with stylized grace. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this print offers a window into 18th-century urban leisure, where games like sugoroku bridged theater, courtship, and celebration. It reflects Japan's booming print culture, affordable art for the masses that democratized beauty and storytelling.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyohiro · 1737–1776

Torii Kiyohiro (active 1737–1776) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist and a member of the celebrated Torii school, one of the oldest and most distinguished lineages in the history of Japanese woodblock printing. The Torii school had been founded in the late seventeenth century and built its reputation on the creation of billboards and illustrated programs for the Kabuki theater in Edo, and Kiyohiro carr...