Iwai Hanshiro IV as Oiso no Tora

Held by the Cleveland Museum of Art and dated circa the mid-1770s, this Katsukawa Shunkō print depicts Iwai Hanshirō IV in the role of Oiso no Tora. Oiso no Tora is the famous courtesan-lover of Soga Jūrō, one of the two avenging brothers in the Soga monogatari (Tale of the Soga Brothers), a foundational source of kabuki drama. The Soga plays were a fixed feature of the New Year theatrical calendar in Edo, and roles like Oiso no Tora — the loyal, suffering lover left behind by her revenge-bound partner — were major showcases for onnagata (female-role specialists). Iwai Hanshirō IV (1747–1800) was one of the leading onnagata of his generation, celebrated for the graceful and emotionally precise portrayal of beautiful young women in tragic roles. Shunkō's print captures Hanshirō IV in the elaborate furisode-style kimono and complex hairstyle of a high-ranking courtesan, with the small posture-adjustments and gestural details that distinguished the actor's interpretation from his predecessors. The Cleveland Museum of Art's mid-1770s dating places this work in Shunkō's early prime, when he was rapidly developing his own voice within the Katsukawa house style established by Shunshō.