Ghosts and Battle Scenes

A kabuki-style actor in a tall black-and-gold striped headdress and a blue robe with orange and cream striped trim turns his head sharply to the right. Behind him, bold bird-wing and feather motifs spread across a deep blue ground, while a fan-like mask and a sprig of foliage sit at the lower left.

Look closer: A small white mask with a dark mouth is held at the lower left, partly hidden by the robe.

Artist

Utagawa Kunisada

Date

19th century

Medium

Album of 18 woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2659 × 3840 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Harold de Raasloff, 1918