Artwork preview

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

Okumura Masanobu

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A Japanese woodblock print depicting a dynamic scene of two men in samurai armor. The man on the left wears a helmet with a long, curved crest; his armor features a circular emblem on the chest and another on the shoulder. He appears to be pulling or removing the armor of another man, who stands on the right. The man on the right wears armor with a circular emblem on the shoulder; his left arm is bent upward, griping a sword. The background includes geometric shapes and Japanese characters written vertically along the left edge. Two seals are visible, one black and one red, positioned near the bottom left corner. The paper has a beige color with darker edges and visible texture.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1709
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
599 × 425 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette