Art Archive • Sharaku

Ukiyo-e

Ōkubi-e

Segawa Tomisaburō II and Nakamura Manyo as Yadorigi and Her Maid Wakakusa

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Mistress and maid onnagata paired in a single mica-ground actor portrait — Segawa Tomisaburō II and Nakamura Manyo as Yadorigi and Her Maid Wakakusa. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain).
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Tōshūsai Sharaku. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain).

About this work

Segawa Tomisaburō II and Nakamura Manyo as mistress Yadorigi and maid Wakakusa — master and servant in one ōkubi-e.

From Hana Ayame Bunroku Soga, Segawa Tomisaburō II and Nakamura Manyo play Yadorigi and her maid Wakakusa. Hierarchy reads through placement and expression.

View on The Met

Viewing notes

Study how Sharaku differentiates mistress and maid without scenic context.

Compare this double with the male pair in the revenge-play group.

Onnagata doubles are scarce — note line weight differences between the two faces.

Extended Japanese viewing notes: 二世瀬川富三郎と中村万世.

画面のどこかをクリックすると、音量をゆっくり上げつつ環境音が始まります。