Title : The Onnagata Actor Segawa Kikunojö I as Keisei Kuzunoha in the Play Öuchi Kagami Shinoda-zuma

Artist : Torii Kiyonobu II

Date : 1737

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : Like the other members of the Torii School, Kiyonobu II focused on advertisements and other images for Kabuki theaters. The glossy black coloring on the robe, hair, and crests utilizes a technique known as urushi-e, or "lacquer painting." This effect was achieved by mixing animal-based glue with black ink, causing the final product to have a lustrous shine resembling lacquer. As was common in conjunction with the urushi-e style, mica or bronze powder was sprinkled on certain sections of the print (here seen on the robe) to create a dramatic juxtaposition with the deep black and add a luxurious quality to the work. Once again we find the fox spirit Kuzunoha soon after her transformation, a replica of the real Kuzunoha's bamboo cane in hand. The odd device in the lower left, baited with a dead mouse, is one of the fox traps originally set to ensnare her. Kuzunoha glances back at it with disinterest as she, now a woman, begins her new life as Yasuna's wife. Here the fox spirit is portrayed by Segawa Kikunojö I (1693-1749), an actor who specialized in onnagata roles. Even among his peers Kikunojö was considered a master, his commitment to the craft extending into his private life where he lived as a woman.

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