Onoe Kikugorō VI as Hayano Kanpei
Natori Shunsen Japanese
Not on view
To represent the “Musket Scene” from the first scene of Act V of the Kabuki play The Treasury of the Royal Retainers (Kanadehon Chūshingura), the artist presents a close-up of the actor as Hayano Kanpei, a retainer of En’ya Hangan. In the play, the circumstances surrounding Hangan’s death sentence leads to a complex revenge story that has fascinated generations of Kabuki fans. The print captures the emotions of a samurai who feels guilt for not being at his master’s side at a crucial moment because he was meeting with his lover, Okaru.
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