Catalog record · 目録番号 38784
Kuzunoha Fox
Catalog note / 解説
Like The Fox Spirit Tadanobu by Kunichika on display nearby, this work showcases the artist's talent for actor portraiture. As in Kunichika's depiction of Tadanobu, which is from the same series, deep red is used with precision to create eye-catching accents. The cluster of leaves in the upper left corner alludes to the meaning of the character's name, Kuzunoha, or "kudzu leaves." Found in the Kabuki play A Courtly Mirror of Ashiya Döman, first staged in 1735, the story of the fox spirit Kuzunoha is one of the numerous tales involving animal wives in Japanese mythology. Like Genkurö, this fox strives to repay generosity. A young man, Abe no Yasuna, releases a fox from a hunter's net only to…
Image record / 画像情報
Honolulu · 1898 · honolulu
The catalog page is text-only. The reviewed image is available in the Ukiyo-e app for iPhone and iPad.