Self-Portrait of Danjuro VII in a Shibaraku Performance

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII Japanese

Edo period (1615–1868)

Not on view

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII portrayed himself in a "Shibaraku!" performance. "Shibaraku!" was customarily performed as part of the annual November "showing-faces" (kaomise) production to introduce a company of actors to the public. The bombastic shout of "Shibaraku!" was believed to ward off evil. Three poems are inscribed above the picture, including Danjūrō's poem at the center. Dominating the picture is the famous family crest of three nested squares (mimasu), seen both on the sleeves of the character's kimono and as the print's frame.

Self-Portrait of Danjuro VII in a Shibaraku Performance, Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (Japanese, 1791–1859), Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper, Japan

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