The Second Bando Mitsugoro in the Role of Soga no Juro Sukenari
ca. 1793–95
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 5/16 x 5 17/32 in. (31.3 x 14.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918
Accession Number
JP300
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the lively world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), this woodblock print by the artist Kinei captures the Second Bandō Mitsugorō, a celebrated kabuki actor, in the dramatic role of Soga no Jūrō Sukenari. Created around 1793–95, the work measures a compact 12 5/16 x 5 17/32 inches, ideal for fans or personal collections. Rendered in ink and color on paper, it exemplifies *ukiyo-e*—the "pictures of the floating world"—a genre that immortalized fleeting pleasures like theater and beauty. Soga no Jūrō is one half of the legendary Soga brothers, heroes of a popular revenge tale that became a kabu...