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Description
This print is the seventh in the Kabuki Jûhachiban (歌舞伎十八番, "The Eighteen Great Kabuki Plays") series of prints by the artist Kiyotada (also known as Tadakiyo). It depicts actor Ichikawa Danjûrô IX as Teruhi no Miko (upper left), with an actor from the past as Kishô (lower right), in the kabuki play Uwanari ("Jealousy"). Uwanari was originally staged in 1699 at the Nakamura Theatre and starred Ichikawa Danjûrô I, who also wrote the story. For more information on the play, see this description. A similar print by can be seen here.
In this print we see Teruhi no Miko, the vengeful spirit of Kasuga (the first wife of the mountain hermit Kôga no Saburô Kaneie) facing off against Saburô, who has been transformed into a powerful warrior. Danjûrô IX is transformed into the character of Teruhi no Miko using a hannya no men, a mask which represents a once-beautiful woman now overcome with jealousy and fury due to her unrequited love for a man. As with all of the prints in this series, the detailed karazuri blind-embossing in the background is a highlight.