“Act II, Scene 5: At the Opera in Paris,” from the series The Strange Tale of the Castaways: A Western Kabuki

Adachi Ginkō Japanese

Not on view

In the late nineteenth century, Japan was awash with recently imported foreign ideas and images that were often understood in a culturally insensitive manner, reflecting racist attitudes in America and Europe of the time, such as the performer shown here in blackface. The play, by the celebrated playwright Kawatake Mokuami (1816–1893), follows the peripatetic journey of a touring troupe of European and American actors.

“Act II, Scene 5: At the Opera in Paris,” from the series The Strange Tale of the Castaways: A Western Kabuki, Adachi Ginkō (Japanese, 1853–1902), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban, Japan

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