The Day of a Nô Performance (Onô haiken hiruban), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description
This second impression of the Nô performance print from the Tôkaidô meisho no uchi series depicts one of the ceremonial Nô performances held at shrines or temples along the Tôkaidô route during daimyo processions. The title Onô haiken hiruban refers to a daytime performance open to public viewing, a formal occasion in which Nô theater served ritual and diplomatic functions within the choreography of sankin-kôtai travel. The composition likely presents the raised honbutai stage with its four pillars and distinctive mirror board (kagami-ita), performers in layered costumes and painted masks visible against the shrine or shrine precinct backdrop. Kyosai's rendering of theatrical performance subjects demonstrates his familiarity with the Nô repertoire and its spatial conventions — stage orientation, the hashigakari bridgeway from mirror room to main stage, and the distinctive posture of shite performers in motion. Comparison between impressions of this design illuminates how color application varied across print runs of the series.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Day of a Nô Performance (Onô haiken hiruban), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Yes — The Day of a Nô Performance (Onô haiken hiruban), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi is part of the Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road series by Kawanabe Kyosai.
The Day of a Nô Performance (Onô haiken hiruban), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi depicts transportation, tōkaidō, and travel scenes.