The Actor Sanogawa Ichimitsu in Role of Kumenosuke 1735 - 1785

Torii Kiyomitsu made this woodblock print of the actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the role of Kumenosuke. It’s part of a long tradition of Japanese printmaking that elevated the Kabuki theatre actor to the level of celebrity. Prints like these reveal much about the nature of the Kabuki theatre’s popularity in the Edo period. This print captures the actor in the guise of a character from a specific play. We see references to the actor’s identity within the play, such as the birdcage. The actor’s clothing also gives us information about his role. Actors occupied a peculiar place in the rigid Edo social hierarchy, because they were popular and admired, but were also seen as social outcasts. Prints like this played an important role in constructing the actor’s public persona, but in ways controlled by publishers and theatre owners. Examining prints like this one in the Met provides insight into the cultural meanings embedded in popular entertainments like Kabuki.