Kuzunoha-hime and Abe no Yasuna
Utagawa Kunisada I (created by)
Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Ink, Paper, Woodblock
16 3/4 inches H
X
13 inches W
Woodblock print (nishiki-e). This print depicts the kabuki actors Bandô Shuka I as the character Kuzunoha and Ichikawa Danjurô VIII as Abe no Yasuna. In the play, based on Japanese folklore, Abe no Yasuna is a nobleman who marries a fox disguised as a beautiful woman, Kuzunoha. Prints like this were produced in large quantities on the occasion of the staging of popular plays. This production dates to 1850. Both actors in this print are male, since men usually played the female roles in kabuki theater.
1844