Votive plaque of the actor Bando Mitsugoro III as Sasaki Takatsuna
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
20.8 × 18 cm (8 3/16 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88611
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan, Utagawa Hiroshige's 1821 *Votive plaque of the actor Bando Mitsoro III as Sasaki Takuna* captures the theatrical splendor of kabuki. This intimate color woodblock print depicts the celebrated actor in the role of the legendary samurai Sasaki Takatsuna a heroic figure from medieval tales of valor and loyalty. Produced as a *surimono*—a luxurious, privately commissioned print often for New Year's greetings or poetry circles—the work's *shikishiban* format (a square roughly 20.8 × 18 cm) made it perfect for personal altars or collections. Hiroshige, who ...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...