The Actor Arashi Tokusaburō as the Female Gallant (Onnadate) Ohashi

Utagawa Sadamasu (Kunimasu) 初代歌貞升 Japanese

1838

Not on view

The Kabuki actor Arashi Tokusaburō III (later known as Arashi Rikan III, 1812–1863) achieved great renown for his performances as young women (waka-onnagata). Here he is represented in the role of the onnadate (chivalrous woman) Ohashi, who defended the weak and oppressed against abusive samurai, and who were popularized in literature and on the Kabuki stage as champions of the townspeople. The hokku (17-syllable poem), by the actor himself, refers to the tachibana (mandarin orange blossom) crest used by this family of actors:

Tachibana no
kaori wa yomo ni
negaunari

We pray that the fragrance
of mandarin orange blossoms
will spread in all directions.

(Trans. John T. Carpenter)

Artwork Details

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Exhibition History

「女伊建　お橋　嵐德三郞」　(三代目)
Title: The Actor Arashi Tokusaburō as the Female Gallant (Onnadate) Ohashi
Artist: Utagawa Sadamasu (Kunimasu) 初代歌貞升 (Japanese, active ca. 1830–1852)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1838
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban
Dimensions: Image: 14 3/4 × 9 5/8 in. (37.5 × 24.4 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2020
Object Number: 2020.299
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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