Wooden board (420 x 203 x 13 mm.), carved on both sides, the obverse side...
Above the title is the name of the actor: “Ganso Segawa Roko (or Kikunojo).” Japan: early Meiji.
A rare survival, this finely rendered example of yakusha-e (actor prints) depicts a cross-dressing kabuki actor named Segawa Roko (1693-1749), well-known for his performances of female roles. The reverse side bears two motifs, which seem to be for additional detail on the actor’s kimono. When shown vertically, on the bottom left corner of both sides is a notch called a kento, which would help with the registration of the image. Yakusha-e was one of the most popular genres of ukiyo-e prints.
The artist... More