The Actor Bando Hikosaburo V as Nikki Danjo, from an untitled series of actor portraits

The Actor Bando Hikosaburo V as Nikki Danjo, from an untitled series of actor portraits

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Toyohara Kunichika

Nikki Danjo was a character from the play Competition of the Date Clan in Okuni Kabuki, an evil regent who tried to overthrow the ruling Date clan and restore his own Akamatsu clan to power. He used his magical powers to transform himself into a rat. The role was extremely popular with audiences, who had developed a strong affinity for the supernatural and the elaborate stage effects that often accompanied them. The one crossed eye is standard in kabuki prints and denotes the actor’s intensity on the stage. The stylized pose, a mie, captures the actor when he ceases motion in order to punctuate a dramatic turn in the play. The print’s border includes the actor’s crest, or mon, of a four-leafed chestnut design.
Artist
Toyohara Kunichika
(Japanese, 1835 - 1900)
Title
The Actor Bando Hikosaburo V as Nikki Danjo, from an untitled series of actor portraits
Date
1869
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
355 x 232 mm Overall
Credit
John H. Van Vleck Endowment Fund purchase
Accession No.
2004.45
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

  • Mueller, Laura. "Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School." Leiden, The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2007. p. 204, no. 195

  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/2/2009–11/26/2009
  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900 : Chazen Museum of Art, 3/21/2008–6/15/2008
  • Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/3/2007–1/6/2008

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