Japanese Kabuki Actor Prints
April 2026
These are all Japanese woodblock prints depicting kabuki theater actors in various roles and performances, representing the ukiyo-e tradition of theatrical portraiture.
77 objects · 3 institutions
Actor
Harvard Art Museums

Actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Kochiyama Shshun
Art Institute of Chicago
Actor Ichikawa Ichizō
Harvard Art Museums

Actor Ichikawa Raizô I as Hanakawado no Sukeroku in “The Soga Play: Announcement of the Spring Season by the Bush Warbler” (“Hitokidori harutsuge Soga”)
Art Institute of Chicago
Actor Iwai Hanshirō 5th, from an untitled series of actors on the theme of Snow, Moon and Flowers (Setsugekka)
Harvard Art Museums

Actor Nakamura Noshio I as the Fox-Wife from Furui in “First Performance Day of the Izu Calendar” (“Izu-goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu”)
Art Institute of Chicago

Actor Nakamura Noshio II as Tonase in “Model for Kana Calligraphy: Treasury of the 47 Loyal Retainers” (“Kanadehon chûshingura”)
Art Institute of Chicago

Actor Onoe Kikugoro V as Yojiro
Art Institute of Chicago
Actor Sawamura Gennosuke
Harvard Art Museums
Actor Segawa Michinosuke
Harvard Art Museums

Actor Ôtani Hiroji III Probably as Ukishima Daihachi in “Comparing Merits: Festival Day at Soma” (“Shinasadame Sôma no mombi”)
Art Institute of Chicago
Actors
Harvard Art Museums

Actors Iwai Hanshirô IV, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, and Sakata Hangorô III, in “Snowflakes: Raising the Standard at Izu” (“Mutsu no Hana Izu no Hataage”)
Art Institute of Chicago

All Kinds of Household Items (Chodo zukushi), from the series "Famous Scenes from Japanese Puppet Plays (Yamato irotake)"
Art Institute of Chicago

An Actor of Woman's Roles
Art Institute of Chicago

Courting Komachi (Kayoi Komachi), from the series Famous Scenes from Japanese Puppet Plays (Yamato irotake)
Art Institute of Chicago

King of Italy (Itaria kokuo), from the series "People of Barbarian Nations (Bankoku jinbutsu zue)"
Art Institute of Chicago

Komurasaki of the Miuraya and Shirai Gonpachi
Cleveland Museum of Art

Legend of Taishi, Scene 2 (Taishiden nidanme), from the series "Famous Scenes from Japanese Puppet Plays (Yamato irotake)"
Art Institute of Chicago

Nakamura Nakazo II in the Role of Aramaki Mimishiro Kanetora Disguised as Saiwaka
Art Institute of Chicago

Onoe Matsusuke I as the Ghost of the Warrior Ki no Natora, in Kiku no En Mukashi no Miyako
Art Institute of Chicago

Onoe Shōroku I as the Ghost of the Shirabyōshi Hanako Standing over Osagawa Shichizō II as Tsumagi, Maid Servant to Sakurahime, in Uruō-ōgi Sumizome no Sakura
Art Institute of Chicago

Otawaya: Onoe Matsusuke I as Oboshi Yuranosuke, from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)"
Art Institute of Chicago

Puppeteers - A Set of Three (Ayatsuri sanpukutsui)
Art Institute of Chicago

Sanjo Kantaro, from "A Triptych of Young Kabuki Actors: Edo, Right (Iroko sanpukutsui: Edo, migi)"
Art Institute of Chicago

Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as a puppeteer
Art Institute of Chicago

Scene from the Play "Imoseyama"
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Anegawa Shinshiro II, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)"
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Benzo I as Shuntokumaru
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V and his attendant, from an untitled series of prints showing Actors in private life
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Chichibu no Shigetada
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Sadanji as Akechi Samenosuke, from the series "Seven Brilliant Heroes (Komei shichi yosei)"
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II as Iba no Juzo (?)
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV and his attendant, from an untitled series of prints showing Actors in private life
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Iwai Kiyotaro II
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Nakamura Utaemon I, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)"
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Nakayama Tomisaburo I in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Onoe Kikugoro I holding a puppet of the Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Onoe Kikugoro V as the Priest Sogen (Yuki: Iwakura Sogen Onoe Baiko), from the series "Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka no uchi)"
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Onoe Matsusuke I
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Onoe Matsusuke I in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Otani Hiroji III in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Sakata Hangoro III as Kosodate Kannonbo (Sandai-me Sakata Hangoro no Kosodate no Kannonbo)
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Sawamura Sojuro III (right), in His Dressing Room in Conversation with the Actor Segawa Kikunojo III (left)
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Sawamura Tamagashira in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo II
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Segawa Tomisaburo I as the Heron Maiden (Sagi Musume)
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Segawa Tomisaburo II in an Unidentified Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Shinomiya Heihachi
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Tamazawa Saijiro in an unidentified role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Yamashita Kinsaku I as a peddler of tooth-blackening dye
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actor Yamashita Kyonosuke I in a Female Role
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Anegawa Shinshiro I and Segawa Kikunojo I
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro II and Sodesaki Iseno I
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Ichimura Kamezo I as Yosaku and Arashi Tominosuke I as Koman
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Sanjo Kantaro (right) and Fujimura Handayu (left) as musicians playing under wisteria
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Takinaka Hidematsu I and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I
Art Institute of Chicago

The Actors Yamashita Mangiku, Iwai Hanshiro IV, and Iwai Kumesaburo from a pentaptych of eleven actors celebrating the festival of the shrine of the Soga brothers
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII as I no Hayata
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Sagami Goro, from the series "Popular Actors as the 108 Heroes of the Water Margin (Ryuko yakusha Suikoden goketsu hyakuichinin no hitori)"
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Ichikawa Kuzo II as Tanigoro
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Date no Yosaku
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Matsumoto Kinsho I as Igami no Gonta at Gontazaka, between Hodogaya and Totsuka, from the series "Tokaido"
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Gorobei
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Nakamura Utaemon IV as the fisherman Fukashichi, actually Kanawa Goro Imakuni (Ryoshi Fukashichi jitsu wa Kanawa Goro Imakuni)
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Onoe Kikugoro I as Watanabe no Tsuna
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Sakata Hangoro III as Fujikawa Mizuemon
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Segawa Kikunojo III as the shop boy Chokichi
Art Institute of Chicago

The actor Segawa Kikunojo and a young woman kicking a ball
Art Institute of Chicago

The actors Ichikawa Sadanji I as Imagawa Yoshimoto and Onoe Kikugoro V as Mori Shinsuke
Art Institute of Chicago

The actors Segawa Kikunojo III (R) as the courtesan Katsuragi and Sawamura Sojuro III (L) as Nagoya Sanza Motoharu
Art Institute of Chicago

The actors Segawa Tomisaburo II (R) as Yadorigi, wife of Ogishi Kurando, and Nakamura Manyo (L) as the servant Wakakusa
Art Institute of Chicago

Votive plaque of the actor Bando Mitsugoro III as Sasaki Takatsuna
Art Institute of Chicago

Yamatoya: Bando Mitsugoro II as Ishii Genzo, from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)"
Art Institute of Chicago