Accession Number
2003/1.417.2

Title
Iruma Mansion Kabuki Picture Book: Nakamura Shikan IV as Lady-in-waiting Iwafuji

Artist(s)
Toyohara Kunichika

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1874

Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
14 3/8 in x 10 1/4 in (36.5 cm x 26 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James Hayes

Subject matter
Actor Nakamura Shikan IV was born into the Nakamura family of kabuki actors in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in 1810. He was active from the time he was a child in 1813 until his death in 1847. He was known for his roles as both tachiyaku (lead protagonist) and young onnagata (“female form” or “female role”).

This play was only performed in 1874, and very little is known about it. 

Physical Description
The woman in this print wears several layers of elegant white, red, and black robes. Her outer robe has an orange crest with five leaves and three flowers. Her hair is held up by a long pin.  Her right arm is bent over bundles of fabric, and a hand appearing from off of the print seems to push against her chest. The background behind her is split diagonally, blue on the left and red on the right.

This is the center panel of a triptych (with 2003/1.417.1 and 2003/1.417.3).

Inscriptions: Chūrō Onoe: Bandō Hikosaburō; Meshitsukai Mutsu: Oboe Kikugorō; Inu 4 (Censor's seal); Man, hanmoto, Nihonbashi Manson, Tōri Ichi (Publisher's seal); Watanabe Horiei (Carver's seal); Toyohara Kunichika hitsu (Artist's signature)

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
actors (performing artists)
kabuki
kimonos
ladies-in-waiting
theater (discipline)