The Actor Nakamura Riko as a Courtesan Refereeing a Wrestling Match

This color woodcut depicts kabuki actors, a popular subject in Japanese prints during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Often commissioned by kabuki theatres to promote their productions, depictions of actors usually show them playing particular characters. Only male performers were allowed on the stage, so some actors specialized in playing female roles. As seen here, the actor portraying a female character wears a small cloth high on their forehead to hide the shaved area of the top knot hairstyle traditionally worn by Japanese men.