Ichikawa Danjuro Fifth as a Komuso Holding a Basket-Hat in His Right Hand

Art Historical Context

This striking diptych by Katsukawa Shunshō captures the celebrated kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V in the guise of a komusō, a wandering Zen monk who played the shakuhachi flute while concealed beneath a woven basket hat. Created around 1775 during Japan’s Edo period, the print exemplifies Shunshō’s pioneering approach within the ukiyo-e tradition. As founder of the Katsukawa school, he specialized in lively, individualized portraits of actors rather than generic types, helping elevate theatrical prints to new levels of realism and expressive detail. Printed in the vibrant nishiki-e technique using multiple color blocks, the work reflects the technical sophistication of late-eighteenth-century Japanese woodblock printing. Its modest scale and diptych format suggest it was designed for intimate viewing, perhaps as part of a larger set depicting popular stage roles. The tags hint at additional figures, possibly companions or attendants, underscoring the theatrical narrative Shunshō so skillfully conveyed. Today preserved at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this print offers modern viewers a vivid glimpse into Edo-period entertainment culture, where kabuki stars were celebrated icons and their images circulated widely through affordable yet artistically refined prints.

About the Artist

Katsukawa Shunshō　勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792

Japanese, 1726–1792