The Actor Matusmto Koshiro IV as Ise no Saburo Disguised as Mizoro no Sabu in the Play Mure Takamatsu Yuki no Shirahata, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1780

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kabuki theater with this striking *hosoban* woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunj, a master of the Katsukawa school renowned for his dynamic yakusha-e (actor portraits). Created around 1780, it depicts the celebrated performer Matsumoto Koshirō IV in the role of Ise no Saburō disguised as Mizoro no Sabu, from the play *Mure Takamatsu Yuki no Shirahata*, staged at Edo's Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month. At just 32.2 × 14.5 cm, the narrow *hosoban* format—typically half the width of standard prints—allowed these affordable images to be coll...