The Actor Otani Hiroji III as a White Fox Disguised as Ukishima Daihachi in the Play Shinasadame Soma no Mombi, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Seventh Month, 1770

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of 18th Japanese theater with Katsukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Otani Hiroji as a White Fox Disised as Ukishimahachi in the Playinasadame Soma Mombi*, created around 1770. As a master of uki-e—"pictures of the floating world"—Shunsho specialized in yakusha-e, or actor prints, that immortalized kabuki stars during performances at venues like Tokyo's Ichimura Theater. This color woodblock print captures Ōtani Hiroji III, one of the era's celebrated onnagata (male actors specializing in female roles), in a fantastical disguise from the play's supernatural tale, blending dr...