Nakamura Shikan IV as Katō Kiyomasa
Artist
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡 芳年
(Japanese, 1839–1892)
Date8th month 1867
Mediumwoodblock print, ink, color, and embossing on paper
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineAlexander H. Bullock Fund
Object number2002.252
DescriptionIdentifiable by the circular crest on his chest and his distinctive helmet, Katō Kiyomasa (1562–1611) was a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–98), the military ruler of late 1500s Japan. The actor Nakamura Shikan IV (1830¬–99) performed as Kiyomasa in a play in 1867, which prompted the release of this deluxe print in the same month, featuring embossing on the hanging banner and the extensive use of expensive metallic pigments. Since Kiyomasa participated in an invasion campaign of Korea, he is often considered a symbol of Japanese nationalism. This connection may account for his recurrent popularity in the late Edo and early Meiji periods, when Japan struggled to forge an identity in the face of international pressure.Label TextIdentifiable by the circular crest on his chest and his distinctive helmet, Katō Kiyomasa (1562–1611) was a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–98), the military ruler of late 1500s Japan. The actor Nakamura Shikan IV (1830¬–99) performed as Kiyomasa in a play in 1867, which prompted the release of this deluxe print in the same month, featuring embossing on the hanging banner and the extensive use of expensive metallic pigments. Since Kiyomasa participated in an invasion campaign of Korea, he is often considered a symbol of Japanese nationalism. This connection may account for his recurrent popularity in the late Edo and early Meiji periods, when Japan struggled to forge an identity in the face of international pressure.ProvenanceThe Katie and Scott McDonald Collection, Rochester, NY
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