The Teachings for Women, Scene of Mikasayama Palace: Sawamura Tanosuke III as Omiwa

Accession Number
2003/1.410.2

Title
The Teachings for Women, Scene of Mikasayama Palace: Sawamura Tanosuke III as Omiwa

Artist(s)
Toyohara Kunichika

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1864

Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
14 9/16 in x 9 15/16 in (37 cm x 25.2 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James Hayes

Subject matter
Actor Sawamura Tanosuke III was born into a family of kabuki actors in 1845. He was active from the time he was a child, in 1849. In the later part of his life he suffered from an unknown ailment that caused him to have both feet and parts of his hands amputated. In spite of his disability, he continued to perform until his death in 1878.  He was best known for his onnagata—“female form” or “female role”—roles and for contemporary plays.

Physical Description
This is a print of a woman kneeling on the floor. She wears a red and blue robe with a black sash. Her hair has matching decorations. She holds an object in her left hand. Behind her is a black staircase up to a raised platform with a green floor.
 
Inscriptions: Artist’s signature: Kuinchika ga; Publisher’s seal: Hanmoto, Izutsuya; Censor’s seal: Ataratme; Omiwa, Sawamura Tanosuke
 
This is the right panel of a diptych.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
color 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
actors (performing artists)
kabuki
kimonos
spools
theater (discipline)
women (female humans)

2 Related Resources

Kabuki Images
(Part of 10 Learning Collections)
"Japan", Gender, etc.
(Part of: body, physicality and form; mod/contemporary religious imagery (Asia Galleries Winter 2022 DRAFT))

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted