Ichikawa Danjuro Fifth as a Komuso Holding a Basket-Hat in His Right Hand

Description

Ichikawa Danjūrō V appears as a komusō, holding the distinctive basket hat named in the print’s title. Another elaborately dressed figure stands beside him, and a horizontal screen of warm-colored foliage links the adjoining panels. Katsukawa Shunshō contrasts the performers’ garments and bearing, making their encounter feel animated even within the upright, carefully bounded composition.

Made around 1775, this color woodblock design brings a recognizable stage identity into the decorative language of patterned robes and flowing lines. The hat is a telling accessory, but the image’s interest extends to the way each figure occupies space. Shunshō uses differences of pose and costume to create a relationship between the performers, allowing the viewer to follow their exchange through visual details without requiring a complete account of the drama.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.