The Third Segawa Kikunojō as Ochiyo and Bando Mitsugorō as Hanbei

Description

Segawa Kikunojō III appears as Ochiyo alongside Bandō Mitsugorō as Hanbei in this actor print by Katsukawa Shunshō. One figure in a pale patterned robe turns toward another in a dark, floral-patterned role on a bare ground. Their contrasting garments keep the two presences distinct, while the direction of attention makes the shared encounter more important than either figure viewed alone.

Dated to the fifth month of 1781, the nishiki-e woodblock print was made with ink and color on paper. Shunshō preserves the meeting of two stage personalities within one dramatic situation, giving a passing encounter a lasting form. The work’s interest lies in that shared presence, where actors and roles remain distinct but connected. It invites attention to performance as something created between people, allowing the characters’ relationship to become visible through a particular pair of interpreters.

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