Sawamura Tanosuke as Lady Suzuhiro Casting a spell of revenge

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Sawamura Tanosuke as Lady Suzuhiro Casting a spell of revenge
Sawamura Tanosuke as Lady Suzuhiro Casting a spell of revenge
Artist/Maker (Japanese, 1835-1900)
Datec. 1870
MediumColor woodblock print on paper
DimensionsComposition: 14 1/16 × 9 9/16 in. (35.7 × 24.3 cm) Sheet: 14 1/16 × 9 9/16 in. (35.7 × 24.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Omar S. Pound, Class of 1951
Object number1985.45
On view
DescriptionŌban tate-e. "This is a portrait of the Kabuki actor Tanosuke Sawamura III [sic--should it be Sawamura Tanosuke?] as the heroine in the play Tsuchigome or The Spider. The story, adapted from an earlier Noh drama, involves the discovery by a beautiful but impoverished young woman of her true aristocratic lineage. She also learns of the dreadful murder of her father. Educated in the powerful magic of the spider, she uses this knowledge to avenge his death and recover her true identity as his daughter. In this work, the magical hand poition and the spider's web design on her robe reveal her at the moment of casting the spell which destroys her father's enemies."--from Proper, Improper..., curator Diane Graham (moved from descriptions 5/2011)

Additional Details

Exhibition History 1997
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Proper, Improper and Heroic", October 30 - December 16, 1997.
Provenance 1985: Hamilton College (Fred L. Emerson Gallery), by gift of Omar S. Pound.
Markings Stamps: two seals in black ink at center right.
Inscribed "[lengthy inscriptions in calligraphic Japanese]" at upper half of composition in ink; "[Kanji text]" at center left in ink.
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