Accession Number
2003/1.409.1

Title
Lovebirds and Lightening in the Summer Rain: Iwai Matsunosuke IV as Katsuragi and Nakamura Tsuruzō II as a House Owner

Artist(s)
Toyohara Chikanobu

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1886

Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
14 1/16 in x 9 7/16 in (35.8 cm x 24 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James Hayes

Subject matter
Actor Iwai Matsunosuke IV was born in Edo in 1857. He became a deciple of Iwai Hanshirō VIII at age 15 and was active in kabuki from 1873 until his death in 1906.

Actor Nakamura Tsuruzō II was born in Edo in 1831 and active in kabuki from 1856 until his death in 1890.

 

Physical Description
This print shows a woman with her back toward a man. The woman wears brightly colored robes, decorated with grasses, flowers, birds, and a dragon. Her hair is elaborately done up with many gold pins. The man behind her wears plain brown and green robes and scratches his head with his left hand. The background is red with a brown fence.

This is the left panel of a triptych (with 2003/1.409.2 and 2003/1.409.3).

Inscriptions: Katsuraki, Iwai Matsunosuke; Ienushi, Nakamura Tsuruzō

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
actors
courtesans
gates
kabuki
kimonos
men (male humans)
theater (discipline)
women (female humans)