Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Preparing New Year's Gifts

Utagawa Kunisada Japanese

Not on view

The Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (1791–1859) is shown at home in everyday dress, preparing New Year’s gifts for his admirers. The gifts are cotton hand towels (tenugui) that have been folded into miniature workmen’s coats, each decorated with the three concentric squares (mimasu) of his family crest and the words Ichikawa and Kiba (a reference to the actor’s home in Fukagawa). It is likely that this surimono was designed while Danjūrō was performing in Osaka in 1830.

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Preparing New Year's Gifts, Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864), Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigments on paper; shikishiban, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Preparing New Year's Gifts, Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864), Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigments on paper; shikishiban, Japan
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Preparing New Year's Gifts, Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864), Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigments on paper; shikishiban, Japan
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Preparing New Year's Gifts, Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864), Woodblock print (surimono); ink, color and metallic pigments on paper; shikishiban, Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.