Nakamura Denkuro as Asaina no Saburo and Nakajima Kanzaemon as Soga no Gorō, Acting Out the Torn Armor Scene (Kusazuri-biki) in a Soga Play

ca. 1709

Not on view

One of Japan's most popular tales of revenge, the story of the twelfth-century Soga brothers, raised by their mother to avenge their father's death, was adapted to all manner of stage portrayals. Acts of extraordinary strength and resolve are the mainstay of the tale. Juro and Gorō were played by the premier aragoto, or "rough," character actors of the day.

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Title: Nakamura Denkuro as Asaina no Saburo and Nakajima Kanzaemon as Soga no Gorō, Acting Out the Torn Armor Scene (Kusazuri-biki) in a Soga Play
Artist: Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686–1764)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1709
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 10 3/8 x 14 3/4 in. (26.4 x 37.5 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1918
Object Number: JP539
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Kabuki Play Kusazuribiki from the Tales of Soga (Soga
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