Hanayagi Jusuke as the Fox Spirit in Kokaji 1954

Natori Shunsen made this woodblock print, Hanayagi Jusuke as the Fox Spirit in Kokaji, sometime in the 20th century. Look at the whiteness of that wig and the mask, how it contrasts with the busy patterning of the robes! The red and gold zigzags seem to vibrate against the soft, grey backdrop. I wonder what Shunsen was thinking about when they chose these colors and patterns. Maybe they were trying to capture the energy of the dance, the way the dancer moves and transforms. I bet they were excited by the Kabuki theatre and how it’s so different from western theatre. What a wild and wonderful thing to devote yourself to! The prints remind me of other printmakers like Hokusai, who were also obsessed with capturing fleeting moments and expressions. It's like they're all having a conversation across time, bouncing ideas off each other, and pushing the boundaries of what printmaking can do. The art captures a certain kind of theatrical magic. It embraces the ephemeral nature of performance, immortalized in ink and wood.