The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II as Umeo-maru in the Play Ayatsuri Kabuki Ogi, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Seventh Month, 1768

Art Historical Context

This striking color woodblock print by Ippitsusai Buncho captures the dynamic world of Edo-period kabuki theater. Created around 1768, it portrays the actor Ichikawa Yaozo II in the role of Umeo-maru from the play *Ayatsuri Kabuki Ogi*, performed that summer at Tokyo’s Nakamura Theater. As the left panel of a triptych, the work would have formed part of a larger composition celebrating the production’s key performers, reflecting the era’s vibrant theater culture and the popularity of actor portraits among devoted fans. Buncho, active in the 1760s and 1770s, specialized in yakusha-e (actor prints) that emphasized graceful poses and expressive features. Printed in the narrow hosoban format—ideal for full-length figures—this piece showcases the technical sophistication of ukiyo-e. Multiple carved woodblocks allowed for layered colors and fine details, making such prints both affordable souvenirs and sophisticated works of art that preserved fleeting stage moments for posterity. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection, the print offers a vivid glimpse into 18th-century Japanese entertainment and the collaborative spirit of kabuki, where actors, playwrights, and artists together shaped popular culture.