The Actors Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Ike no Shoji and Segawa Kikujiro I as Hitachi Kohagi in the play "Mangetsu Oguri Yakata," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eighth month, 1747

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kabuki theater with this exquisite woodblock print by Torii Kiyonobu II, a of the Torii school for capturing the drama and allure of actors on stage. Created in 1747, the print portrays Sanogawa Ichimatsu as Ike no Shoji and Segawa Kikujiro as Hitachi Kohagi from the play *Mangetsuuri Yakata*, performed Edo's Ichimura Theater in eighth lunar month. Its narrow hosoban format—measuring just 26.7 × 14 cm—made it an ideal, affordable souvenir for theatergoers, slipping easily into a sleeve. This benizuri-e, or "rose-colored picture," showcases an early color woodblock technique using delicate pinks, greens, and blues applied through multiple carved blocks, bridging monochrome prints and the fuller polychromy of later ukiyo-e. Kiyonobu II's bold lines and expressive poses highlight the actors' stylized makeup, flowing robes, and dynamic gestures, evoking the intensity of kabuki performance. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this print offers a window into Edo-period popular culture, where yakusha-e like this advertised stars and immortalized fleeting moments of theatrical splendor, blending art, celebrity, and everyday entertainment.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyonobu II · 1702–1752

Japanese, ca. 1702–1752