The Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Aza-maru in the Play Yui Kanoko Date-zome Soga, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the First Month, 1774

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo-period Japan with Katsukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Ichimura Uza IX as Aza-maru in the Play Yuioko Date-zome S*. Created around 1774, this color woodblock print captures the kabuki actor Ichimura Uemon IX in his role as the bandit Aza-maru during a January performance at the famed Ichimura Theater. Printed in the narrow *hosoban* format—measuring just 31 × 14.6 cm—this intimate portrait highlights the dramatic pose and expressive features that made kabuki a cultural phenomenon among urban audiences. Shunsho, a leading master of *ukiyo-e* (pictures ...