Kabuki Actor Arashi Kitsusaburō II as Kajiwara Heiji, in the play Hiragana seisuiki (Records of the Battles between the Minamoto and Taira Clans in the Japanese Syllabary) 1827

Gigadō Ashiyuki created this woodblock print of Kabuki actor Arashi Kitsusaburō II in Osaka, Japan in the early 19th century. It presents the actor as Kajiwara Heiji, from the play "Records of the Battles between the Minamoto and Taira Clans." Looking at the image, the actor’s stern expression and the prop pipe create a sense of tension and drama. The cherry blossom motif surrounding the actor's portrait locates the print within a tradition that valued beauty and ephemerality. In the floating world of Osaka's Kabuki theatre, actors were among the celebrities of their day. Woodblock prints like this one were thus important cultural products, feeding the public’s appetite for images of their stage heroes. To understand the significance of this print, we might research the history of Kabuki theatre in Osaka and the role of actors in popular culture. Also, we might compare prints of different actors and plays to understand the artistic conventions and social meanings of the genre.