The Actor Sanjo Kantaro II as Oshichi in the play "Nanakusa Fukki Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1718 1718

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the constrained color palette. It creates a sense of serene artifice, despite the rich ornamentation. Editor: We’re looking at a woodblock print from 1718. Torii Kiyomasu II depicted the actor Sanjo Kantaro II in the role of Oshichi from the play "Nanakusa Fukki Soga." Curator: Ukiyo-e prints often captured actors and celebrated performances. The female figure is portrayed not just as herself, but as embodying layers of constructed identity: a male actor playing a woman in a specific role. Editor: Indeed, the artist cleverly used motifs like irises, butterflies and geometric patterns to signal details of her character within the drama, not just decoratively. We could decode the patterns and objects further. Curator: Right, those circular crests must allude to something specific about her social standing or family lineage represented in the play. The iris too; does it signify faithfulness in this context, I wonder? Editor: Formally, it's also worth noting how lines contour and create volume through deliberate arrangement rather than modulation. The print emphasizes the plane, prioritizing decorative elegance. Curator: And this flatness is characteristic of early Ukiyo-e prints isn’t it? A certain deliberate simplification to enhance visibility of important identifying marks and signs to do with rank and performance Editor: Precisely. It allows those symbolic elements to dominate—the essence of both theatrical and pictorial communication at the time. These prints helped solidify the fame of certain actors. Curator: They were proto-celebrity images! Affordable artworks designed for a rapidly expanding urban population. It is interesting how aesthetic pleasure could fuse so effectively with celebrity culture and social coding. Editor: I agree completely. These prints provide more than simple portraiture. Curator: Ultimately, an enduring artwork lies in the tension it sustains, this print invites continued engagement.