Commemoration of the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII in various roles. (死絵 八代目市川團十郎)
Collection:CSM Museum & Study Collection
Date: 1854
Maker: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞)
Engraver: Hori-Take (彫竹)
Medium: O-ban Nishiki-e (大判錦絵, large-format coloured print)
Object number: O.11.33-34A
DescriptionThis type of print belongs to the genre called 'shini-e (死絵),’ which was published in large numbers from the late Edo period onwards whenever a Kabuki actor died. It was published not only as an obituary but also as a gossip paper.
The news that Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (八代目市川團十郎) committed suicide at the age of 32 at the height of his popularity in 1854 shocked the masses in Edo, and around 200 different versions of ’shini-e’ of him were published. This work is one of them.
The news that Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (八代目市川團十郎) committed suicide at the age of 32 at the height of his popularity in 1854 shocked the masses in Edo, and around 200 different versions of ’shini-e’ of him were published. This work is one of them.
