Japanese Print "Nakamura Shikan IV as Katō Kiyomasa" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Artist:Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title:Nakamura Shikan IV as Katō Kiyomasa
Date:8th month 1867
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Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
Identifiable by the circular crest on his chest and his distinctive helmet, Katō Kiyomasa (1562–1611) was a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–98), the military ruler of late 1500s Japan. The actor Nakamura Shikan IV (1830¬–99) performed as Kiyomasa in a play in 1867, which prompted the release of this deluxe print in the same month, featuring embossing on the hanging banner and the extensive use of expensive metallic pigments. Since Kiyomasa participated in an invasion campaign of Korea, he is often considered a symbol of Japanese nationalism. This connection may account for his recurrent popularity in the late Edo and early Meiji periods, when Japan struggled to forge an identity in the face of international pressure.
