Comic Bats (Yatsuatari dōke kōmori), Utagawa Kuniyoshi, c. 1846.
Japanese, Edo period ukiyo-e.
Polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e), chūban format
In the early 1840s, the Tokugawa shogunate enacted strict laws known as the Tenpō Reforms to curb luxury spending across society. These reforms deprived ukiyo-e artists of one of their most lucrative subjects: kabuki theater actors. Depicting actors was strictly outlawed, and the woodblocks of anyone who violated the decree were destroyed. Kuniyoshi found a solution through humor. He began illustrating the banned actors as cats, frogs, and bats; the citizens of Edo, meanwhile, instantly recognized their favorite stars from the specific garments and textile patterns these animals wore. This print is a parody of Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura, one of the most celebrated kabuki plays of the era. The cherry blossoms in the background serve as a direct nod to the phrase "Edo Cherry Blossoms" in the play's title. On the left, the dark bat sporting a purple headband portrays the protagonist, Sukeroku. On the right, the white-bearded figure assumes the role of the story's primary antagonist, the elderly samurai Ikyū
via: Archaeology & Art
