Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Shingen in “A String of Prayer Beads Shaken at a Ribbon of Waterfall”
Medium
color woodblock print
Dimensions
33.4 × 15 cm
Classification
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift from J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1921.1270
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
Once the center print of a triptych (a composition of three prints), this design shows Ichimura Uzaemon IX playing Takeda Harunobu (1521–1573), a storied general who received the name Shingen upon taking Buddhist vows. In the story, Shingen attempts to cut off his enemy’s water supply, using a spell to imprison the dragon god who controlled it. However, a young woman named Sakura-hime gets him drunk. While he is indisposed, she and her lover release the dragon, whereupon it rains. Here, Shingen,...