Scene from the Forty-Seven Ronin

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Scene from the Forty-Seven Ronin

Artist Kunisada Toyokuni III ? (Toyoshige) Japanese

Period Edo Period Japanese, 1615 - 1868

Datemid 19th Century

Dimensions14 1/8 x 9 1/2 in.

Mediumwoodblock print

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineCarl Spitzer

Object number

1940.5

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Label TextJiraiya (seen here third from the left) is the main character in a Japanese folk tale about a ninja who uses shape-shifting magic. A novel was written based on this tale and was published in 43 installments beginning in 1839. The first 10 volumes became a Kabuki drama, which premiered in 1852. This print illustrates a scene from that play with the famous Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (1823–1854) in the title role. Utagawa Kunisada, known as Toyokuni III, was one of the most prolific woodblock artists in 19th-century Japan. After a long period of neglect and even scorn, his work is now considered to be innovative in its style, technique, and subject matter.