Bando Matataro as Umewomaru in the Drama “Sugewara denju tenarai Kagami”

Description

Bandō Matatarō appears as Umewomaru in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, connecting a named actor with a particular role in the drama. The wide-legged figure wears a red patterned outer robe and raises a long object diagonally to the right. Green and red ground bands give the stance a firm setting, allowing the character’s energy to emerge through the meeting of costume, direction and planted balance.

Dated to the second month of 1772, the nishiki-e work uses ink and color on paper. Its appeal lies in the specific meeting between performer and part, preserving one actor’s connection to the larger dramatic world of Sugawara. Katsukawa Shunshō turns the passing appearance into something that can be considered closely. The subject remains individual rather than anonymous, allowing the represented character to carry both the identity of the play and the presence of the actor who embodies it.

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