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.
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