The actors Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Takamoto no kitsune and Segawa Kikunojo V as Izumi no Chieda-gitsune

This 1818 shikishiban-format surimono by Utagawa Kunisada portrays Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Takamoto no kitsune (the Takamoto fox) and Segawa Kikunojo V as Izumi no Chieda-gitsune (the Izumi fox-spirit), in what is likely a fox-magic transformation scene from one of the kabuki plays drawing on the rich Japanese tradition of supernatural fox imagery. Fox transformations are among the most beloved supernatural subjects in Japanese theater: foxes (kitsune) are shape-shifting tricksters and divine messengers, and the dance and reveal of their true identity furnished spectacular stage moments for both tachiyaku and onnagata. Kunisada's design probably uses costume elements such as white fur, fox-tail decorations, and pointed gestures to suggest the supernatural identity of the human-form actors. As a surimono, the print was commissioned privately, likely by a poetry club celebrating both actors, and would have been printed in a small edition with luxury effects: metallic and pearlescent pigments, blind embossing for the texture of fur and snow, and refined color modulation. Ichikawa Danjuro VII and Segawa Kikunojo V were two of the leading kabuki stars of late-Bunka and Bunsei Edo, and their joint appearance in a fox-themed surimono is a particularly desirable subject. The Art Institute of Chicago's impression preserves the print as a document of Kunisada's early-career surimono virtuosity.