Otani Tokuji I as the Retainer Sodesuke in "Flowering Irises: A Soga Vendetta of the Bunroku Era"

初代大谷徳次の奴袖助　花菖蒲文禄曽我

1794

Tōshūsai Sharaku 東洲斎写楽

(Japanese, active 1794–95)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Medium

color woodblock print

Measurements

36.2 x 25.2 cm (14 1/4 x 9 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore 1930.206

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

The clenched fist and mouth express the character’s determination.

Description

Ōtani Tokuji I (1756–1808) portrays a servant in a play that follows two brothers as they pursue a villain who murdered their father and older brother and who stole their family’s secret scroll.

This design belongs to a category of Japanese prints called “actor images” (yakusha-e or 役者絵). They were collected by fans of popular Kabuki actors. Kabuki is a kind of entertainment that got its start in the early Edo period, evolving from dance performances with simple storylines to long plays with complex plots, elaborate sets, and full musical accompaniments. Performers wear showy costumes and heavy makeup and strike poses called mie at critical moments in the narrative. Dialogue is spoken in a stylized way that resembles singing.