The Actor Segawa Kikunojo I as a courtesan
Ishikawa Toyonobu
c. 1747
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; vertical oban diptych, beni-e
Dimensions
69.6 × 25.2 cm (27 1/2 × 10 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21451
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This is probably a portrait of the actor who played the courtesan Nishikigi in the play A Group of Sumo Wresters of the Izu Peninsula, which was performed at the Nakamura theater in December 1747. Since women were prohibited from acting onstage, female roles were taken by men called onnagata. The actor Segawa Kikunojo I was one of the most famous onnagata of the time. His crest (mon) appears on his sleeve.
About the Artist
Ishikawa Toyonobu · 1711–1785
Japanese, 1711–1785