The Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Housewife Kneeling by an Open Window

With his success in warrior prints, Kuniyoshi was commissioned to design privately published surimono. Surimono, or “printed things,” were produced on sumptuous paper and frequently decorated with gold, silver, and copper pigments as seen in the cracks on the wall and on the moon. Often the works were published and distributed during the new year season by poetry groups in Edo. The butterfly seal on this design denotes the kyoka circle associated with the poet Ryuotei Hananari. The subject of the print is the kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro III in a female role. Kikugoro III was one of the most celebrated actors of his day and known as an “all-in-one actor,” achieving fame playing female roles, male roles, and villains. Here, Kikugoro III, wearing the costume of a housewife, kneels by an open window and holds a smoking pipe. The straw wreath hanging near the window indicates the new year season.