Bandô Mitsugorô III as Asazuma-bune (Asazuma in a boat)

Catalog note / 解説

This <i>surimono</i> - print commemorating a poetry gathering - celebrates the performance of kabuki actor Bandô Mitsugorô III in the female role of 'Asazuma in a boat'. The actor is depicted in the bottom right corner. Above him and to the left are poems composed by his fellow actors and fans at the gathering. The print is evidence of the vibrant urban culture which flourished in the Edo period (1615-1868). Kabuki actors often participated in wider cultural activities than just the theatre, for example poetry salons. Developments in wood-block printing meant that their achievements - both on and off stage - could be kept for posterity in beautiful form. Materials: Colour print from wood bl…