Actors Azuma Ichinojō I as Sugibae c. 1851 - 1858

This is a woodblock triptych by Utagawa Kunisada, portraying the actor Azuma Ichinojō I as Sugibae. Notice the intricate patterns on the kimonos, each telling a story of its own. These are not mere decorations; they are symbols of status, identity, and even emotional state. The sword held by the figure on the left is not only a mark of authority but also a representation of the samurai culture and the warrior’s ethos. Consider the recurring motif of the fan. It appears throughout the composition. In ancient Greece, a fan was an attribute of the god Dionysus, associated with ecstasy and ritual madness. Here, the fan might function similarly as an emblem of theatrical art and cultural memory, subtly alluding to both control and abandon that govern the world of performance. Such images linger in the collective memory, resurfacing in unexpected ways, always changing, always echoing.