The Actor Nakajima Mioemon II, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; page from illustrated book
Dimensions
24.5 × 15.3 cm (9 5/8 × 6 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31367
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese theater with *The Actor Nakajima Mioemon II a stunning color woodblock print by Ippitsusai Buncho from the illustrated book *A Picture Book Stage Fans (Ehonai ogi)*, in 1770. Buncho, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), captured the charisma of Kabuki star Nakajima Mioemon II this intimate page-sized work (24.5 × 15.3 cm). During Japan's Edo period, Kabuki was a cultural phenomenon, blending drama, dance, and spectacle, and prints like this allowed fans to own a piece of the magic. This woodblock print exemplifies the...