Actor Arashi Sangorō I Performing the "Catching the Fox" Dance, c. 1726
Torii Kiyonobuexpand_more
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paperexpand_more
Bequest of Richard P. Galeexpand_more 74.1.23
Not on Viewexpand_more
Kiyonobu depicts the famous actor Arashi Sangorō I (1687–1739) in the play Tsurigitsune (Catching the Fox). In traditional Japanese stories, foxes are capable of changing into human form to trick unsuspecting humans. According to this story, an old fox changes into a priest to escape being hunted. He boldly reminds the hunter about the Buddhist commandments against taking life and eating meat, and the ruse seems to work.
On the way home, however, the “priest” encounters a baited trap and cannot resist the enticing smell of roasted rat. He transforms back into a fox, takes the food, and is caught. Here, Sangorō performs the transformation dance. He wears a fox mask on the back of his head, allowing him to shift between man and fox simply by turning one way or the other.
Details
- Title
- Actor Arashi Sangorō I Performing the "Catching the Fox" Dance
- Artist Life
- 1664 - 1729
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 74.1.23
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.