bound volume of colorful ink portraits of a variety of characters, men and women, young and old; each illustration is accompanied by an inscription in black ink; many of the characters are against a background of flowers or trees; title page, 33 illustrations; and two pages of inscriptions (index?) at the end; pierced in 4 places and bound with string; housed in a tan colored case with bone clasps and a paper label on the outside

Actors among the Garden Oaks, c. 1799

Not on Viewexpand_more

A man, with a crazed look in his eyes, raises a scythe as if to strike. His hair flies around his face, whipped up by the wind that carries snow flurries. The illustration, one of 32 included in this book, is a portrait of the actor Sawamura Sōjūrō III (1753-1801), a kabuki actor who stood on the Osaka kabuki theater stage.

This book is filled with portraits of thirty-two kabuki actors who were active in the late eighteenth century. Each illustration is delicately and lavishly painted with ample color as well as gold and silver pigments. He used unusual painting techniques as well, such as blowing shell white to create the effect of snow, as seen in this scene. The painter, Shōkōsai Hanbei, was known for his prints and illustrated books about the Osaka theater and marketed to their fans. A handpainted book like this one may have been commissioned by patrons who wanted images of their idols.

Details
Title
Actors among the Garden Oaks
Artist Life
active c. 1795 - 1809
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2023.51
Curator Approved

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bound volume of colorful ink portraits of a variety of characters, men and women, young and old; each illustration is accompanied by an inscription in black ink; many of the characters are against a background of flowers or trees; title page, 33 illustrations; and two pages of inscriptions (index?) at the end; pierced in 4 places and bound with string; housed in a tan colored case with bone clasps and a paper label on the outside