Kagami-Jishi

This oban woodblock print depicts a scene from Kagami-Jishi, a famous kabuki dance piece in which a young attendant at the shogun's court becomes possessed by the spirit of a lion while handling a ceremonial lion mask. Shimura Tatsumi captures the moment of transformation, when the refined femininity of the court attendant begins to yield to the wild power of the lion spirit. The subject combines bijin-ga beauty with theatrical drama, requiring Shimura to convey two identities inhabiting a single figure. The kabuki origins of the scene bring with them elaborate costume details and the heightened emotional register of the stage.