Accession Number
2003/1.594

Title
Praying for Love in the Dew-Covered Fall Grasses: Iwai Shijaku I as a Nursemaid

Artist(s)
Hokuei

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1832

Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
13 5/8 in x 8 13/16 in (34.6 cm x 22.4 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James Hayes

Subject matter
This image is part of a set of five, of which the museum has three. The prints depict each of the five roles Iwai Shijaku I performed in the play Praying for Love in the Dew-Covered Fall Grasses. In this print, he plays the part of a nursmaid.

Iwai Shijaku I was also known as Iwai Hanshiro VII.  He was born in 1804 and active from 1806 until his death in 1845.  He spent time acting in Edo as well as Osaka, where this play was performed in 1832.

Physical Description
In this image, a woman carries a young child on her back. She looks over her right shoulder, where the child's head can be seen. She is wearing a simple brown (faded) robe with blue and pink flower print. Underneath, a plain red robe and red leggings are visible. A delicately colored apron large flowers is wrapped around her waste. In the background are five crests, two blue and three red (faded).

Inscriptions: Shunbaisai Hokuei ga (Artist's signature); Honsei (Publisher's seal); 童の手になどとれよすて団扇　紫若 (Text); Go henka no uchi, komori Iwai Shijaku (Title)
 

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)
children (people by age group)
crests (motifs)
figures (representations)
kabuki
theater (discipline)