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The Actor Segawa Kikunojo I as a courtesan

A work made of hand-colored woodblock print; vertical oban diptych, beni-e.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of hand-colored woodblock print; vertical oban diptych, beni-e.

Date:

c. 1747

Artist:

Ishikawa Toyonobu
Japanese, 1711–1785

About this artwork

This is probably a portrait of the actor who played the courtesan Nishikigi in the play A Group of Sumo Wresters of the Izu Peninsula, which was performed at the Nakamura theater in December 1747. Since women were prohibited from acting onstage, female roles were taken by men called onnagata. The actor Segawa Kikunojo I was one of the most famous onnagata of the time. His crest (mon) appears on his sleeve.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

Ishikawa Toyonobu

Title

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo I as a courtesan

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1742–1752

Medium

Hand-colored woodblock print; vertical oban diptych, beni-e

Dimensions

69.6 × 25.2 cm (27 1/2 × 10 in.)

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1925.2252

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/21451/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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