Description
Ichikawa Danjūrō V appears as a palanquin bearer standing near a milepost, bringing a celebrated actor into a role associated with travel and physical labor. The bent-over body and carrying pole make the practical weight of the role tangible. Heavy patterning gives the costume substance, while the inclined posture suggests the effort of a working figure whose occupation is expressed through the body’s arrangement.
Made around 1783–84, the nishiki-e print uses ink and color on paper to preserve this theatrical guise. The image’s interest comes from the difference between the actor’s public identity and the working figure he represents. Danjūrō’s presence is not limited to heroic rank; it can inhabit the practical world of movement along a road. Katsukawa Shunshō makes that change of social position part of the pleasure of recognizing the performer.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.
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