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Utagawa Toyokuni I

Onoe Shōroku I as the Ghost of the Shirabyōshi Hanako Standing over Osagawa Shichizō II as Tsumagi, Maid Servant to Sakurahime, in Uruō-ōgi Sumizome no Sakura

c. 1810
Color woodblock print; oban
36.4 × 24.7 cm (14.3 × 9.7 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The actor Onoe Shōroku I (1744–1815; also known as Onoe Matsusuke I) was known for playing supernatural roles, which often required quick changes of costume to transform from a beauty into a demon or ghost. This print documenting a performance at the Ichimura-za Theater in Edo (now Tokyo) tries to mimic the special effects of the Kabuki stage by including a flap of paper that hides the ghost the young woman transforms into.

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